Quantum Physics Can Be Romantic, Too.

Quantum physics can be romantic, too.

Quantum Kisses: Measuring the World at the Scale of Single Atoms & Molecules |

Even empty gaps have a colour. Now scientists have shown that quantum jumps of electrons can change the colour of gaps between nano-sized balls of gold. The new results, published today in the journal Nature, set a fundamental quantum limit on how tightly light can be trapped.

The team from the Universities of Cambridge, the Basque Country and Paris have combined tour de force experiments with advanced theories to show how light interacts with matter at nanometre sizes. The work shows how they can literally see quantum mechanics in action in air at room temperature.

Because electrons in a metal move easily, shining light onto a tiny crack pushes electric charges onto and off each crack face in turn, at optical frequencies. The oscillating charge across the gap produces a ‘plasmonic’ colour for the ghostly region in-between, but only when the gap is small enough.

Team leader Professor Jeremy Baumberg from the University of Cambridge Cavendish Laboratory suggests we think of this like the tension building between a flirtatious couple staring into each other’s eyes. As their faces get closer the tension mounts, and only a kiss discharges this energy.

In the new experiments, the gap is shrunk below 1nm (1 billionth of a metre) which strongly reddens the gap colour as the charge builds up. However because electrons can jump across the gap by quantum tunnelling, the charge can drain away when the gap is below 0.35nm, seen as a blue-shifting of the colour. As Baumberg says, “It is as if you can kiss without quite touching lips.” continue reading

I feel strangely drawn to this place...

But seriously folks, at what point in time and space can I find this magical store?

Via

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Edit: As pointed out by Leviathan, what has been created here is a distinct dialect, not a language. Regardless, it's still pretty awesome.

why is it that all the most popular posts on tumblr

are written like this

with no capitals

and no punctuation

i just really want there to be a popular and grammatically correct post on tumblr

The Mixed-Up Files of Bobbitt, John and Lorena

There was a penis joke here, but tumblr spazzed-out and it got cut off.

A blockbuster action flick about a rouge band of scientists, who call themselves Thermodynamics, using their knowledge to fight the System and take down the Man. They answer only to a man who calls himself Entropy.

They live by three principles; the Laws of Thermodynamics, if you will.

For every action the Man takes to further subdue the naive masses within the System, Thermodynamics responds in kind.

Everything tends towards maximum chaos.

The day chaos is eliminated is the day that hell freezes over.

Plot twist: Entropy is really just Thermal Energy Per Unit Temperature all along.

~

via project-argus, source engineering-laughter