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Butterflies like grains of sand

say belongs to every cause an effect and every effect a cause. If it were that simple. In fact, the nature can be much more complicated. Sometimes the effect has little to do with the causes.

Take a simple grain of sand. If we let them fall one by one they form a small mountain. And the mountain is stable but only for a while. There comes a time when a single grain of sand is capable of causing an avalanche, an effect quite disproportionate. Physicists call it a non-linear response , an extremely interesting concept that should explain another day.

Returning to our "mountain" it is clear that the collapse has to do with the way it is constructed. Random falling grains of sand is formed a structure shaped "cone" defined by gravity. This cone is not perfect and appear at random, unstable areas both small and large. If a grain falls into these volatile areas causing a small avalanche. But over time they increase the volatile areas until the whole of our mountain of sand is full of them and get to touch each other. Then a single grain of sand can cause an avalanche that spread from one area to another to cause a significant collapse. Like contests dominoes falling, where one piece can bring down thousands of pieces carefully arranged. Of course nobody in nature "directs" the pieces, but the physical laws like gravity tend to produce the same effect. Understanding the behavior of a grain of sand hidden in a mound required careful computer simulations conducted by a team of physicists led by Per Bak .

Their findings have created a new branch of physics. The study of "self-organized criticality systems." The general idea is that, naturally, the system will accumulating instabilities. The longer time of accumulation, but grains of sand without a collapse, the more likely a more serious breakdown and its consequences. The familiar " butterfly effect "would be a similar example. Not that the butterfly has the energy needed to cause a storm thousands of miles but the system is at a point where minimal disturbance causes a substantial change in the result.

"This affects us in everyday life? can that much. It has been suggested that history or economics are full of similar processes that might respond to the same principle. Since the bubbles in the stock market or the price of housing certain historical events as World War I where a murder caused the slaughter of millions of people in four long years filled trenches. Such After studying these conditions could prevent the worst consequences. It's amazing what we learn from studying a humble pile of sand.


Category: Physical

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2006 Youth Award for Science and Technology

comes a point is you have to assume you're not going to change the world. That although you like science and technology are probably not bright enough. You have to settle for a tiny contribution. I really happened. But that is not true for everyone.


few days ago, Antonio Lopez, a friend and professor at the Public University of Navarra received Youth Award 2006, awarded by Complutense University of Madrid, in the category of science and technology, as best researcher under 35 in Spain . I will not speak of how finds time to be a professor at two universities in different continents. Neither of his numerous publications and patents although he did not see a euro. Travel, conference calls and numerous scheduling problems involving designing chips for Seiko, NASA and a few English companies. Of the fifteen hour days and weeks to seven days. In his annual "vacation" from work at the State University of New Mexico. Anybody can get an idea reading a summary of everything that has made . Only

writing to encourage those who now study and dream difference. Sure, some are good enough and worth trying. Even from a small town like Pamplona. Despite the lack of resources, facilities or social support. Although these stories appear only relegated to small boxes of paper. Or be forgotten among the owners of the latest political fight, soccer or heart. Twenty years ago that Antonio and I are friends and I can say that research is a better person. And although I have no merit in any of those things I can not help but be proud.

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depend on the light we generate a thousand different ways. However, they all boil down to one basic principle, move the electrons inside an atom.


Within electromagnetic radiation only a small band of wavelengths (between 380 and 780 nm) form the visible spectrum, what we know as light. Understanding the mechanism for generating it requires us to descend to the level of atoms. Among them we find the electrons that form part of its structure. His position is not fixed and varies depending on the power they have, but his natural tendency is to reduce your energy level to a minimum and thus must discard any excess. His method? Exactly. Emit.

To make a material emits radiation, some electrons must provide enough energy to reach higher orbits so that, to decay naturally, the issue as radiation. Throughout history mankind has tried all methods but can be summarized in just five.

• Thermal Power: An increase in temperature provides energy to electrons. A common example would be an incandescent bulb has a filament between 2000 and 6000 degrees. An extreme example would be to sonoluminescence, where the implosion of bubbles generated by sound waves can raise small amounts of water temperatures above 30,000 degrees. But any body above absolute 0 (-273 degrees Celsius) emits infrared radiation constantly, more or less intensity, cooling in the process.

• chemical reactions: Probably the first thing the man could use. The formation of new molecules alters the position of the electrons that emit radiation to return to the position of minimum energy. There is also usually an increase in temperature, as in the fire, but this is not necessary as in the case of bioluminescence .

• particle bombardment: From the use of electron guns, as in a classic tube TV, to that emitted by ionizing radiation. In this case the energy travels directly transfer electrons to emit radiation back into position.

• movement of electric charges, which involves the movement of electrons. A flash or any type of arc would be good examples. But phenomena like mechanoluminescence where friction causes the formation of electrostatic charges and the emission of light to recombine these loads.

• Another source of light with sufficient photon energy, both visible radiation, high frequency, etc. A special case would be the lasers can be pumped with light until most of the electrons occupy high positions of power.

There are other methods to emit radiation outside the visible range. A radar or microwave oven using different techniques. Of these, none is as powerful as the annihilation of matter and antimatter . Enough energy to take us to the stars but that is for another story.



Category: Physics, Chemistry