What are Dyson spheres? What would be involved in building one? How much energy would it cost, and could we ever pay it back?
Mar 14th: Could We Ever Build A Dyson Sphere?
Paul M. Sutter Archive
Mar 7th: How Cold Can Space Get?
What’s the temperature of deep space? Can it get any colder than that? How do we even define temperature when there’s nothing around? I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Spaceman!
Feb 21st: Does the Universe Rotate?
How do we know that the universe doesn’t rotate? Why would it matter if it did? What does all this have to do with time travel?
Feb 7th: What are the Blue Stragglers?
What are blue straggler stars? How were they first discovered? What do they tell us about star clusters and the evolution of stars? I discuss these questions and more in today’s Ask a Spaceman!
Jan 17th: Can Tachyons Exist?
Is it possible for anything to travel faster than light? What about tachyons? How would faster-than-light travel break causality?
Jan 3rd: What is the Meaning of Quantum Mechanics? Both/And
What is the role of consciousness in quantum mechanics, if there even is one? Is there any way at all to develop a coherent view of nature based on quantum mechanics? What are the ultimate lessons that we can learn from quantum mechanics?
Dec 20th: What is the Meaning of Quantum Mechanics? : For Nothing is Hidden
What is real in quantum mechanics, and what are mere mathematical tricks? Can the probability waves be real, and what would that mean? What is Pilot-Wave theory?
Dec 8th: What is the Meaning of Quantum Mechanics? – Many Worlds, Infinite Possibilities
What is the many-worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics? How does decoherence play a critical role? What are the strengths and weaknesses of this idea? Find the answer with @PaulMattSutter at #365DaysOfAstro
Nov 15th: What is the Meaning of Quantum Mechanics? Einstein’s Revenge
What were Einstein’s objections to quantum mechanics? Why was he so bothered by non-locality? What is the EPR paradox?
Nov 1st: What is the Meaning of Quantum Mechanics? Dreams of Copenhagen
What is the Copenhagen interpretation? How did the debates between Heisenberg and Schrodinger influence later physicists? What are the strengths and weaknesses of the “shut up and calculate” approach to quantum mechanics?