The universe is not locally real

By Daniel Garisto

One of the most unsettling discoveries in the past half a century is that the universe is not locally real. ln this context, "real" means that objects have definite properties independent of observation - an apple can be red even when no one is looking. "Local" means that objects can be influenced only by their surroundings and that any influence cannot travei faster than the light. Investigations at the frontier of quantum physics have found that these things cannot both be true. Instead the evidence shows that objects are not influenced solely by their surroundings, and they may also lack definite properties prior to measurement.

This is, of course, deeply contrary to our everyday experiences. As Albert Einstein once bemoaned to a friend, "Do you really believe the moon is not there when you are not looking at it?" To adapt a phrase from author Douglas Adams, the demise of local realism has made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move.

Blame for this achievement has now been laid squarely on the shoulders of three physicists: John Clauser, Alain Aspect and Anton Zeilinger. They equally split the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics "for experiments with entangled photons, establishing the violation of Bell inequalities and pioneering quantum information science ("Bell inequalities" refers to the pioneering work of Northern Ireland physicist John Stewart Bell, who laid the foundations for the 2022 Physics Nobel in the early 1960s ). Colleagues agreed that the trio had it coming, deserving this reckoning for overthrowing reality as we know it. "lt was long overdue," says Sandu Popescu, a quantum physicist at the University of Bristol in England. "Without any doubt, the prize is well deserved."

"The experiments beginning with the earliest one of Clauser and continuing along show that this stuff isn't just philosophical, it's real - and like other real things, potentially useful," says Charles H. Bennett, and eminent quantum researcher at IBM. "Each Year I thought, 'Oh, maybe this is the year,"' says David Kaiser, a physicist and historian at the Massachusetts lnstitute of Technology. ln 2022 "it really was. It was very emotional- and very thrilling."

The journey from fringe to favor was a long one. From about 1940 until as late as 1990, studies of so-called quantum foundations were often treated as philosophy at best and crackpottery at worst. Many scientific journals refused to publish papers on the topic, and academic positions indulging such investigations were nearly impossible to come by. ln 1985 Popescu's adviser warned him against a Ph.D. in the subject. "He said, 'Look, if you do that, you will have fun for five years, and then you will be jobless,"' Popescu says. Today quantum information science is among the most vibrant subfields in all of physics.

(Adapted from: Scientific American, 2023)

The universe is not locally real

By Daniel Garisto

One of the most unsettling discoveries in the past half a century is that the universe is not locally real. ln this context, "real" means that objects have definite properties independent of observation - an apple can be red even when no one is looking. "Local" means that objects can be influenced only by their surroundings and that any influence cannot travei faster than the light. Investigations at the frontier of quantum physics have found that these things cannot both be true. Instead the evidence shows that objects are not influenced solely by their surroundings, and they may also lack definite properties prior to measurement.

This is, of course, deeply contrary to our everyday experiences. As Albert Einstein once bemoaned to a friend, "Do you really believe the moon is not there when you are not looking at it?" To adapt a phrase from author Douglas Adams, the demise of local realism has made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move.

Blame for this achievement has now been laid squarely on the shoulders of three physicists: John Clauser, Alain Aspect and Anton Zeilinger. They equally split the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics "for experiments with entangled photons, establishing the violation of Bell inequalities and pioneering quantum information science ("Bell inequalities" refers to the pioneering work of Northern Ireland physicist John Stewart Bell, who laid the foundations for the 2022 Physics Nobel in the early 1960s ). Colleagues agreed that the trio had it coming, deserving this reckoning for overthrowing reality as we know it. "lt was long overdue," says Sandu Popescu, a quantum physicist at the University of Bristol in England. "Without any doubt, the prize is well deserved."

"The experiments beginning with the earliest one of Clauser and continuing along show that this stuff isn't just philosophical, it's real - and like other real things, potentially useful," says Charles H. Bennett, and eminent quantum researcher at IBM. "Each Year I thought, 'Oh, maybe this is the year,"' says David Kaiser, a physicist and historian at the Massachusetts lnstitute of Technology. ln 2022 "it really was. It was very emotional- and very thrilling."

The journey from fringe to favor was a long one. From about 1940 until as late as 1990, studies of so-called quantum foundations were often treated as philosophy at best and crackpottery at worst. Many scientific journals refused to publish papers on the topic, and academic positions indulging such investigations were nearly impossible to come by. ln 1985 Popescu's adviser warned him against a Ph.D. in the subject. "He said, 'Look, if you do that, you will have fun for five years, and then you will be jobless,"' Popescu says. Today quantum information science is among the most vibrant subfields in all of physics.

(Adapted from: Scientific American, 2023)

The universe is not locally real

By Daniel Garisto

One of the most unsettling discoveries in the past half a century is that the universe is not locally real. ln this context, "real" means that objects have definite properties independent of observation - an apple can be red even when no one is looking. "Local" means that objects can be influenced only by their surroundings and that any influence cannot travei faster than the light. Investigations at the frontier of quantum physics have found that these things cannot both be true. Instead the evidence shows that objects are not influenced solely by their surroundings, and they may also lack definite properties prior to measurement.

This is, of course, deeply contrary to our everyday experiences. As Albert Einstein once bemoaned to a friend, "Do you really believe the moon is not there when you are not looking at it?" To adapt a phrase from author Douglas Adams, the demise of local realism has made a lot of people very angry and has been widely regarded as a bad move.

Blame for this achievement has now been laid squarely on the shoulders of three physicists: John Clauser, Alain Aspect and Anton Zeilinger. They equally split the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics "for experiments with entangled photons, establishing the violation of Bell inequalities and pioneering quantum information science ("Bell inequalities" refers to the pioneering work of Northern Ireland physicist John Stewart Bell, who laid the foundations for the 2022 Physics Nobel in the early 1960s ). Colleagues agreed that the trio had it coming, deserving this reckoning for overthrowing reality as we know it. "lt was long overdue," says Sandu Popescu, a quantum physicist at the University of Bristol in England. "Without any doubt, the prize is well deserved."

"The experiments beginning with the earliest one of Clauser and continuing along show that this stuff isn't just philosophical, it's real - and like other real things, potentially useful," says Charles H. Bennett, and eminent quantum researcher at IBM. "Each Year I thought, 'Oh, maybe this is the year,"' says David Kaiser, a physicist and historian at the Massachusetts lnstitute of Technology. ln 2022 "it really was. It was very emotional- and very thrilling."

The journey from fringe to favor was a long one. From about 1940 until as late as 1990, studies of so-called quantum foundations were often treated as philosophy at best and crackpottery at worst. Many scientific journals refused to publish papers on the topic, and academic positions indulging such investigations were nearly impossible to come by. ln 1985 Popescu's adviser warned him against a Ph.D. in the subject. "He said, 'Look, if you do that, you will have fun for five years, and then you will be jobless,"' Popescu says. Today quantum information science is among the most vibrant subfields in all of physics.

(Adapted from: Scientific American, 2023)

Seafaring Language: The Jargon of Ships

How Illiteracy Shaped Seafaring Language

Anyone who has enjoyed literature and films portraying life at sea may have quickly noticed that the ship environment is alive with unfamiliar jargon. Words such as "bosun" and "stays'l" might feel the air, but upon looking in a dictionary, no such words seem to exist! The reason for many of the warped pronunciations (and spellings) of some sailing jargon comes down to the capabilities of the sailors themselves. For many, literacy was a boon available only to the privileged.

When a sailor didn't know how to read, it was likely that they didn't know how to spell, either. Thus, sailors needed to rely only on the pronunciation of a word as picked up from others. Because crews in the age of sail could be made of dozens of people from countries all around the world, these pronunciations were neither consistent nor always accurate to the words' original spelling. Thus, some terminology shifted away from a 1:1 spelling to pronunciation correlation. For instance: Bosun - an experienced sailor who is in charge of keeping the deck and exterior of a ship in good condition. The pronunciation "bosun" is a result of most crewmembers' inability to read the word "boatswain" and pronounce it as such. Consider also the origin of boatswain in British English, where it would have been frequently pronounced "boat-swayn." Coxin - the coxin is in charge of navigation on a ship. Like boatswain, the original term is  "coxswain," which was shortened due to crew illiteracy and a reliance on pronunciation across cultures with different accents.

(Adapted from: https://www.uslanguageservices.com/)

Ship Accidents: Causes and Mitigation Strategies

Maritime transportation serves as the backbone of global trade, facilitating the movement of billions of tons of cargo across oceans and seas each year. This vital sector underpins economies worldwide, connecting markets and enabling the flow of goods that sustain industries and communities. Despite significant advancements in ship design, navigation technology, and safety protocols over recent decades, ship accidents remain a persistent concern. These incidents carry the potential for devastating environmental impacts, substantial economic losses, and tragic human casualties.

The complexity of maritime operations means that accidents can arise from a multitude of factors, often intertwining human error, adverse environmental conditions, and mechanical failures. Therefore, understanding the root causes of ship accidents is crucial for developing effective mitigation strategies. Implementing these strategies is essential not only for enhancing maritime safety but also for ensuring the sustainability and reliability of global trade operations. As the maritime industry continues to grow and evolve, prioritizing safety measures will be key to safeguarding both human life and the environment while supporting the seamless movement of goods around the world.

(Adapted from: https://ma1itimeducation.com/)