381289
submission
Bistromat writes:
Seems a surfer-dude/physicist has come up with an elegant GUT (Grand Unification Theory), still in its infancy, based on the E8 Lie group that was only fully mapped out this year. If this turns out to be true, it would be the greatest discovery in physics since, well, ever.
202215
submission
jcgam69 writes:
Scientists have proposed using a liquid compound to craft a giant disc-shaped mirror that would be capable of reflecting objects that are undetectable by other telescopes, according to a paper published this week in the journal Nature. With much less expense than transporting a solid mirror, the liquid would be carried in a drum and poured over a disc-shaped mesh that unfurls robotically, according the paper. Surface tension on the mesh would prevent the liquid from dripping through its small holes, according to the scientists.
The result would be an optical-infrared telescope with a 66-foot to 328-foot aperture, which could reflect faint objects in dwarf or normal galaxies.
202157
submission
nodrog writes:
A preprint at the International Association for Cryptologic Research (IACR) claims that AES may be susceptible to a new cryptanalysis technique. From the article abstract: — We describe a new simple but more powerful form of linear cryptanalysis. It appears to break AES (and undoubtably other cryptosystems too, e.g. SKIPJACK). The break is "nonconstructive," i.e. we make it plausible (e.g. prove it in certain approximate probabilistic models) that a small algorithm for quickly determining AES-256 keys from plaintext-ciphertext pairs exists — but without constructing the algorithm.
Even if this break breaks due to the underlying models inadequately approximating the real world, we explain how AES still could contain "trapdoors" which would make cryptanalysis unexpectedly easy for anybody who knew the trapdoor. If AES's designers had inserted such a trapdoor, it could be very easy for them to convince us of that. But if none exist, then it is probably infeasibly difficult for them to convince us of that.
104388
submission
The Underwriter writes:
Article from Canada's National Post, March 2, 2007
"Claude Allegre, one of France's leading socialists and among her most celebrated scientists, was among the first to sound the alarm about the dangers of global warming.
"Fifteen years ago, Dr. Allegre was among the 1500 prominent scientists who signed 'World Scientists' Warning to Humanity' (Wikipedia), a highly publicized letter stressing that global warming's 'potential risks are very great' and demanding a new caring ethic that recognizes the globe's fragility in order to stave off 'spirals of environmental decline, poverty, and unrest, leading to social, economic and environmental collapse.'"
In light of the volumes of research conducted since then, Dr. Allegre recently renounced his previous views. He now believes global warming is "over-hyped and an environmental concern of second rank."
" 'The cause of this climate change is unknown,' he states matter of factly. There is no basis for saying, as most do, that the 'science is settled.' "
Part 13 of the National Post's "Deniers" series, about scientists who contradict the majority opinion on climate science.
