The Higgs boson is the missing link in the Standard Model of Physics

Written by Elaine Zuo

Known as the “God particle“, the Higgs boson is a subatomic particle that is theorized to be the reason why everything in the universe has mass. Researchers at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) in Geneva have recently found significant hints of the particle, the last missing part of the Standard Model of Physics. 

Finding the Higgs itself would be revolutionary in the science world and allow for a greater understanding of how the universe works. This search is currently the top priority of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), and two separate experiments have been established in pursuit of the particle. There has not been an exact mass predicted for the Higgs, and so physicists must use particle accelerators such as the LHC to look for it. The LHC, a 27 kilometer ring-shaped tunnel 100 meters below the French-Swiss border, is the world’s largest atom smasher.

CERN reported on December 13 that the midpoint results from the two independent experiments had reached roughly the same conclusion for the mass of the particle: a range of 116 to 130 gigaelectronvolts (GeV), with significant activity around 124-125 GeV. One GeV has about the same mass as a proton.

The results currently have a 99 percent degree of certainty, but this is not close to the threshold that must be reached for there to be a true “discovery”. An accepted “discovery” must carry a five-sigma level of certainty, which would represent the likelihood of tossing a coin and getting more than 20 heads in a row. Each sigma represents a standard deviation, which is a measure of how unlikely that the experimental result was attributed to chance rather than actual cause.

If the Higgs does exist, it is short-lived and is decaying quickly into more stable particles. These decay patterns give more flexibility to scientists to search for the boson through different decay routes. Each path has its advantages and disadvantages, with more background noise clouding some results and others with less noise but less statistical certainty.

The range in which the Higgs exists gets smaller and smaller each year, and physicists hope that they will actually discover the particle sometime next year. Much excitement has abounded in the scientific community and many hope that the Higgs will only be the first in a chain of discovery. The Standard Model, the guide to how particles and forces interact, would be complete upon verification of the boson, and science would be one step further into understanding the entirety of the universe.

Technorati Tags: CERN, god particle, higgs boson, LHC, particle physics, physics, science, standard model

Written by: Alexandra Paskulin

A recent eruption on the surface of the sun produced the most powerful solar radiation storm since 2003, creating spectacular auroras across the northern hemisphere last week.

On Jan. 23, the surface of the sun erupted in a powerful, M8.7 class solar flare, according to the NASA Solar Dynamics Observatory. The explosion produced a coronal mass ejection (CME) of high-energy protons. The energy from the explosion reached Earth as a class S3 solar radiation storm and G1 geomagnetic storm on Jan. 23 and 24, according to the National Weather Service’s Space Weather Prediction Center. The ultra-violet photo below (courtesy of NASA’s SDO) shows the Jan. 23 eruption of solar spot 1402.

As the CME reached Earth’s magnetic field, the resulting geomagnetic storm produced brilliant auroras over Alaska, Canada, and northern Europe. Aurora-watcher Antti Pietikäinen of Finland reports, “The show started slowly, but after 15 minutes the landscape was green! This was the first time for Thomas (pictured below) to see the Northern Lights. He was very happy.”

Photography of the magical night skyscapes poured into the Internet from last week’s shows. Additional galleries can be found at the Spaceweather.com “January 2012 Aurora Gallery” and Wired Science’s “Backyard Photography Collection”. The photo below comes from Bernt Olson in Grøtfjord, Norway on Jan. 24. Olson says of his experience “Timing is essential when shooting Aurora. Didn’t expect much aurora this evening, but a sudden and quite heavy aurora outburst came out of nothing and gave us a nice performance tonight.”

Monday’s solar storm came on the back of an earlier, smaller M2 class solar flare that occurred on Jan. 19. According to University of Michigan space weather expert Tamas Gombosi, the increase in solar activity is likely to continue as the solar cycle increases, reaching its peak in 2013.

This surge in solar activity is timed perfectly with new scientific interest in sun observation. In February 2010, NASA launched the Solar Dynamics Observatory as part of their Living With a Star program to closely monitor sun activity. According to Sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov, the SDO’s mission is to “understand the causes of solar variability and its impacts on Earth.” In addition to NASA efforts, new technological vigilance on the part of the American National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather Prediction Center of Boulder, Colorado allows scientists to predict when radiation from a CME will interact with Earth’s magnetic field to within minutes.

As our most important star moves into a new period of productivity, observers can hope to see more beautiful auroras in the upcoming months. With new technological efforts, scientists can monitor solar flares and geomagnetic storms occurring on the surface of the sun and predict when their radiation will reach Earth. Interested aurora-watchers should frequent the SDO and SWPC websites for breaking information about evolving solar activity.

Technorati Tags: Aurora, Northern Lights, photography, Solar flare, Solar storm, Space weather

A polar-grizzly bear hybrid walking on the shore.

Written by Erin Marty

Polar-grizzly bear hybrids – also known as grolar bears – were once thought to be found only in zoos. Now they are being discovered in the wild.

On Banks Island in 2006, a strange creature was shot: a grolar bear. The DNA of the animal was tested by scientists, who discovered that the shot bear was the offspring of a polar bear and grizzly bear. In 2010, a second-generation hybrid was also found and shot in the wild of Canada’s Northwest Territories by David Kuptana.

Both of these events prove that polar-grizzly hybrids are not only surviving, but thriving in the wild. They are successfully passing on their genes to newer generations. Once believe to be reproducing solely in captivity, researchers are finding out that polar-grizzly hybrid bears are now being discovered beyond the containing walls of zoos.

So what does this mean? Why are these bears – usually so far from each other in their natural environments – interbreeding? According to National Geographic, researchers have concluded that each species is being forced into closer proximity with one another. Unfortunately, much of their natural habitat is lost is due to human intervention and impacts. On top of that, there are even some scientists who believe that global warming is to blame.

Marine biology of the International Arctic Research Center at the University of Alaska, Brendan Kelly, suggests that these polar-grizzly hybrids are, if anything, going to become a rather popular addition to the animal kingdom. This is primarily because of the melting sea ice, and without sea ice for them to hunt and live on, the polar bears will be forced further inland near grizzly bears, thus resulting in an increase of polar-grizzly hybrids.

In the end, there may be even more mixed creatures than just polar-grizzly hybrids. Kelly states: “We’re taking this continent-sized barrier to animal movement, and in a few generations, it’s going to disappear, at least in summer months. That’s going to give a lot of organisms-a lot of marine mammals in particular-who’ve been separated for at least 10,000 years the opportunity to interbreed again, and we’re predicting we’re going to see a lot of that.”

Along with other animals that may possibly interbreed, if Kelly is correct, then the near future is sure to find more polar-grizzly bear hybrids. That being said, if you ever find yourself in one of those rare and heart-pounding situations in which you spy a bear in the wild, you may be looking at a grolar bear if it has the following attributes: lengthy necks, broad shoulders and humps, oh and of course the combination of coarse polar and grizzly hairs. But, to be on the safe side, you may want to keep your hybrid tacking skills solely at the zoo.

Technorati Tags: animal, animal hybrids, animals, bear, bear hybrid, bears, environment, environmental issues, global warming, grizzly bear, grolar bear, hybrids, polar bear, polar-grizzly hybrid, science

Deep-sea hydrothermal vent emits plumes of black smoke.

Technorati Tags: animals, antarctica, deep-sea, ocean, species, vents

Written by: Anatole Ashraf

The Environmental Protection Agency continues to face challenges as another election year begins with 2012. On Dec. 29, Texas filed a motion in federal appeals court to block the Obama Administration’s attempts to regulate the emissions of greenhouse gases. Another federal court rejected the state’s petition one day before on Dec. 28.

The move by Texas is merely the latest in what continues to be a difficult period for the Environmental Protection Agency. The Jan. 1 implementation of the EPA’s Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, which places stricter federal limits on pollution from coal-fired plants was delayed at the last minute by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. circuit on Dec. 31.

“Texas law does not currently deem greenhouse gases to be pollutants,” said Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, who has previously claimed that the state was determined to fight the EPA’s intentions. “Once again, the federal government is overreaching, and improperly intruding upon the state of Texas and its legal rights.”

Greg Abbott’s comments reflect one of the greatest challenges facing the EPA—climate change denial. With the 2012 presidential election, doubts and gaps in the science regarding global warming and rising temperatures stand to be frequently highlighted by candidates and politicians to gain favor with deniers.

The increasing fervor of charges against climate change can be traced back to a 2009 incident regarding personal emails circulating between researchers at the Climatic Research Unit of the U.K.’s University of East Anglia, the leading institution focused on climate change. Dubbed a scandal called “Climategate,” the emails revealed increasing frustration on the part of climate scientists, with one admitting that he was “tempted to beat” a skeptic at the libertarian Cato institute. The impact on public opinion was almost immediate, with a poll conducted five weeks later by Yale and George Mason University finding 57 percent of respondents believing that the planet is warming. A similar poll conducted in 2008 found 71 percent believers.

Some say climate change denial stems from negative reactions to new findings. According to political scientist Charles Taber of Stony Brook University, a person hearing about a discovery that challenges deeply held beliefs will have a negative subconscious response which in turn will guide the type of conscious memories and associations. “They retrieve thoughts that are consistent with their previous beliefs, and that will lead them to build an argument and challenge what they’re hearing,” Taber said. (On a humorous note, Mother Jones has compiled a “Field Guide to Climate Change Skeptics”.)

In the face of opposition from climate change deniers and a complicated relationship with lawmakers and politicians, the EPA’s mandate to regulate environmental crime and enforce environmental justice seems to be a challenge. Current administrator Lisa P. Jackson, however, announced at a speech at Power Shift 2011, an annual conference on climate change policy, that she was more energized than ever to “keep America on a path towards a more green and environmentally sustainable future.”

Technorati Tags: 2012, Barack Obama, climate change, Environmental Protection Agency, global warming

Written by: Joe Sciabica

On December 13 at the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland, two research teams found evidence that indicates that the Higgs Boson particle does exist. The Higgs Boson, also known as the God particle, is one of the last parts of the puzzle that is the Standard Model of physics. Currently, there is a theoretical equation of physics that explains most of the forces in the universe which is illustrated by various subatomic particles more elementary than protons and neutrons. Discovering the existence of the Higgs Boson would complete the theory and prove to be a correct model of reality.

However, as its name suggest, the God particle has yet to be conclusively discovered. The Higgs Boson cannot be directly seen, but its path can be observed to tell if it is the Higgs Boson acting. The two research teams, independent of each other’s results, both found similar evidence that leads them closer to looking where the Higgs Boson can be found. However, the physicists admit that some skepticism is healthy as the results could have just been statistical fluctuations.

Experiments will resume in March of 2012 and most scientists are sure that a conclusive answers will be found, whether the particle exists or not. If the Higgs Boson is stated to not exist, then the Standard Model will have to be redone.

Although a useful name to market the particle, the use of “God” to describe the particle is misleading, according to the scientific community. The term was first coined in a book title to describe the elusive nature of the particle and the surrounding belief of the particle but lack of direct evidence. The existence of the particle would also explain why the other elementary particles have mass, in essence giving them existence and being God-like.

Lastly, the Higgs Boson is more accurately thought of as a medium through which other matter exists, again as if existence depends on it. Scientists believe that the term God overestimates the importance of this particle, since it is just a part of the overall theory that would describe reality, supporting other ideas such as the Big Bang Theory and Super String Theory.

As with all other scientific theories, the God particle’s existence cannot answer theological or supernatural questions and therefore having little to do with an actual deity. It is hard to see any practical implications from these experiments that would serve the general public. In the meantime, confirmation of the Higgs Boson would be celebrated by scientists, philosophers and enthusiasts as a triumph of theoretical physics and lay the groundwork for continued research and new questions which have not even yet been asked.

Technorati Tags: experimental physics, god particle, higgs boson, large haldron collider, particle physics, physics, subatomic, theoretical physics

Gulf Coast bird slicked in some of the more than 200 million gallons of oil spilled at the Macondo oil well

Written by: Holly Troupe

Nearly two years after an explosion on the British Petroleum (BP)-leased Deepwater Horizon platform killed 11 workers and spilled 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, BP is releasing an ad December 26th updating the nation on its efforts to restore the Gulf Coast to ecological working order. Like the previous ads which featured BP’s Head of External Relations Iris Cross, the tone is optimistic; the narrative focuses on the continuing cleanup efforts and economic recovery. But, with disparate assessments of the damage done to the ecosystem and fishing industries, are predictions that the Gulf will recover by 2012 valid?

Tourism seems to be back on track. All Gulf water fronts are now open to the public. Persistent advertising for holiday weekends and vacations, paid for in great part by BP funding, helped to drive rental occupancy rates up to nearly 100 percent during the months of June and July. As for the concentration of oil currently in the costal waters, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration found that by August of 2010 a significant percentage had either dispersed or dissolved. Independent researchers from Texas A & M University, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and University of California, Santa Barbara concurred with these findings, adding that microbes had consumed much of the remaining methane and oil.

However, Dr. Samantha Joye, from the University of Georgia, found the oil the other scientists were missing: on the seafloor. The bacteria digesting the oil had to excrete it somewhere, and the heavier oil-saturated waste fell to the depths below. “In the places we sampled, it was devastating. Often you saw this oily mucus, blanketing everything,” Joye told the New York Times. “Typically, the seafloor is teeming with invertebrates sticking out — little animals with tubes, with shells, anything that filter-feeds. Well, the tubes were still there, but the animals were dead.”

There is evidence to suggest that even Gulf marine life that doesn’t dwell in highly contaminated areas is affected. A study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that killifish exposed to trace amounts of the oil pollutants exhibited signs of developmental problems that may adversely affect their ability to breed. Andrew Whitehead with Louisiana State University took tissue samples from killifish and found liver abnormalities that show evidence of reproductive impairment. Many Gulf organisms, including red-snapper, rely on killifish as a food supply. “Though the fish may be ‘safe to eat’ based on low chemical burdens in their tissues, that doesn’t mean that the fish are healthy or that the fish are capable of reproducing normally,” said Whitehead. “Early life-stages of many organisms are particularly sensitive to the toxic effects of oil and because marsh contamination occurred during the spawning season of many important species.”

So, what about the fishing industries? Gulf coast shrimpers are reporting 80 percent lower yields than in previous years. According to Dean Blanchard, a New Orleans seafood processor, fishermen are pulling oil-slicked seafood out of the water regularly. Blanchard also told Fox8 News of a disquieting new phenomenon: shrimp with no eyes. “We’re seeing shrimp with no eyes that are still alive,” he said. Oyster crops diminished tremendously as well. In Mississippi, the BP spill reduced the crop to roughly 35 percent of its usual volume according to Mike Voisin, a New Orleans oyster processor. “This will be our lowest oyster year in a very long time, probably since the late ’80s,” he said. The lingering fear that Gulf seafood is a vessel of toxins has harmed the industry as well. In districts where crop volume is normal, sales have depreciated significantly. Avery Bates, vice president of the Organized Seafood Association of Alabama wants to reassure the public that Alabama’s oyster harvest is healthy, but doubts linger. “I’ve never seen any storm hit us like BP did,” he said. “It got our reputation. People lost their clientele and closed. BP hurt our reputation so bad.”

Unlike a fire or an earthquake, where damages can be assessed largely according to logistic criteria, it is almost impossible to foresee the manifestation of ecological damages. Cleanup crews exposed to the crude and chemical dispersants are experiencing respiratory problems; marshlands that house local wildlife are dying; shrimp are swimming around with no eyes. The BP ad campaign, set to be released on television, YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, will stress the $20 billion in funding BP has allotted for Gulf Coast economic and environmental redevelopment. Nevertheless, Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser told a Colorado Springs homeland security symposium, “We are continuing to see a deterioration of the marsh from the oil spill of April 20, 2010, and I still can’t tell you who is in charge of the cleanup.” Even with vigorous cleanup efforts, Dr. Samantha Joye is dubious of a 2012 recovery.

“There has been a lot of energy and effort put towards beating the drum of everything is wonderful, everything is going to be fine by 2012,” Joye says. “ It’s not OK down there. The system is not fine.”

Technorati Tags: BP oil spill, British Petroleum, crude oil, ecosystem, fishing industry, Gulf Coast, Gulf Coast oil spill, marine biology, marine life, New Orleans, scientists, seafood

Nobody wants to admit how honestly lame they are at multitasking because they would have to admit to fudging on their job application (or lying during the interview process). Corporations require multitasking in their job postings to merit qualifications, and supervisors demand it in the workplace to substantiate productivity. The Catch-22 is that if multitasking is not perceived, the employee is criticized; and if multitasking is being attempted, the quality of the work is criticized.

There is a reason for this: multitasking is a myth.

Managing two mental tasks at once reduces the brainpower available for either task

David Meyer, a psychology professor at the University of Michigan, says, “There is scientific evidence that multitasking is extremely hard for somebody to do, and sometimes impossible.” Chronic high-stress multitasking is also linked to short-term memory loss. Most of the research has been applied to the debate over driving with cell phones or with people in demanding jobs such as air-traffic control, but it also affects quality of life for everyday tasks.

Managing two mental tasks at once reduces the brainpower available for either task, according to a study published in the journal NeuroImage. “It doesn’t mean you can’t do several things at the same time,” says Dr. Just, co-director of Carnegie Mellon University’s Center for Cognitive Brain Imaging. “But we’re kidding ourselves if we think we can do so without cost.” If two tasks require the same parts of the brain, it is extremely difficult to succeed efficiently. As an example, listening for a child playing in the next room while talking to your boss on the phone creates conflicting auditory-processing demands.

Multitasking also inhibits how we learn. Only pure uninterrupted concentration allows long-term memory absorption. “When distractions force you to pay less attention to what you are doing,” says Russell Poldrack, UCLA associate professor of psychology, “you don’t learn as well as if you had paid full attention.”

The human brain is biologically incapable of simultaneously processing attention-rich input. Studies show that a person who is interrupted takes 50 percent longer to accomplish a task and makes up to 50 percent more errors. People who drive while talking on cell phones miss more than 50 percent of the visual cues spotted by attentive drivers, and are involved in more traffic accidents than anyone except very drunk drivers.

Schools and businesses praise multitasking, but it’s an irrational expectation. Multitasking reduces productivity and increases mistakes. Turn off your e-mail and social media sites and see what the results are. Hang up your phone and drive. And leave multitasking to computers.

Technorati Tags: attention, brain, brainpower, concentration, high stress, long term memory, mental tasks, multitasking, multitasking myth, short term memory loss

Flutes carved from bones unearthed by archaeologists at Neanderthal burial sites tell a story:  humans have been music-making since the beginning of humankind, spanning every culture throughout the world. We can theorize that music developed from spiritual rituals and communal customs, but while ancient history and the human brain don’t easily reveal their mysteries, we can be quite certain these days that our brains are wired for music. What we don’t know for certain is whether music was an evolutionary accident as a side-effect of language, or whether music was “selected” by evolution as it may have signified intellect and sexual fitness to a prospective mate. Whatever the reason, studies indicate that music is biologically part of human life.

Music is a biological part of human life

Music activates the pleasure-inducing parts of the brain, the same areas that respond to chocolate and sexual arousal. Serotonin and dopamine are the primary neurotransmitters involved, chemicals that affect mood. Most people in Western societies use music to regulate moods, whether to soothe or invigorate as the desire may be. Other parts of the brain contribute as well; for example, parts of the right hemisphere are involved in processing rhythm. EEG recordings have shown a relationship between brain electrical activity and rhythm perception. In addition, the cerebellum, which is known for calibrating detailed movement, is recently acknowledged as affecting language, attention, and mental imagery. This includes tracking the beat and distinguishing familiar from unfamiliar music. Recent studies suggest that the cerebellum plays a role in the formation and expression of musical taste.

An interesting factor is that a person with musical talent has no apparent difference in brain structure than an unmusical person. There is no “Stevie Wonder music gene,” as neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin explains. However, becoming an expert in anything does change the brain and creates circuitry that is more efficient, and there might be a genetic predisposition toward patience and eye-hand coordination.

There is no evidence that animals show appreciation for music.  Primates, the species closest to humans, exhibit no interest or affinity toward music, but do respond to simulations involving “monkey sounds” that are familiar to them, and they even react emotionally. But rhythm and harmony, at least in human terms, is unknown in the animal world.

And what about those earworms? Otherwise known as a portion of a song or music segment that repeats compulsively within one’s mind, nearly everybody has experienced this irritating phenomenon. (Interestingly, people with OCD tendencies are especially susceptible to earworms). The only way to cure yourself, by at least one account, is to listen to the theme song for “The Flintstones.”

That should take care of it.

Technorati Tags: earworm, earworm cure, harmony, music appreciation, music gene, music making, musical talent, musical taste, rhythm, song, wired for music

The effects of last month’s Deepwater Horizon drilling rig explosion, killing 11 people, is on track to surpass the devastation of 1989’s Exxon Valdez oil spill as the country’s worst man-made environmental disaster. The shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico’s fragile wetlands tend to result in stagnant tidal action, potentially creating a perfect storm of coastal destruction as the massive slick comes ashore, coating everything in its path. A host of bird species native to the region are under direct threat.

Sadly, de-oiling affected coastal birds is no guarantee for their survivability

It is peak migration season for millions of birds heading through impacted areas, and breeding season for the year-round signature coastal birds – pelicans, egrets, ducks, and terns, among numerous others. They have everything to lose if the oil slick reaches them. When oil starts mixing in water, it can change composition and transform into “mousse,” a sticky substance that clings to anything it makes contact with. The gooey matter mats and separates the feathers, subjecting the birds to hypothermia, and it prevents their feathers from repelling water. Oil also weighs down the bird, hindering its ability to fly. They swallow the oil – often ingesting significant quantities – while preening their feathers, and this leads to lung and liver damage and eventually, death.

Some effects of crude oil on coastal birds include:

• Hypothermia and drowning
• Poison from ingesting oil
• Damage to the airways
• Damage to immune systems
• Interruption of breeding and contamination of breeding grounds
• Thinner egg shells, causing deformities

If the oil spill reaches shore, the only hope for saving these coastal birds is quick human intervention, but that hope is slim. A study conducted of post-release survival and dispersal of cleaned and rehabilitated California brown pelicans following two Southern California oil spills in the 1990s concluded that regardless of the efforts, the brown pelicans suffered long-term injury, and that treating the birds do not guarantee further breeding or survivability.

The health of the environment reflects the health of the birds that thrive – or not – in their natural habitats. Their health or decline will eventually mirror our own.

Technorati Tags: bird species, coastal birds, oil slick, oil spill