Monthly Archives: March 2004

Will UConn physicist Ronald Mallett build the first time machine?

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This guy is doing some very interesting research on the “Weak gravitational field of the electromagnetic radiation in a ring laser,” and has found that he might be able to use the data collected from this research to develop a time machine, using light.

For the strong gravitational field of a circulating cylinder of light, I have found new exact solutions of the Einstein field equations for the exterior and interior gravitational fields of the light cylinder. The exterior gravitational field is shown to contain closed timelike lines [R. L. Mallett, “The gravitational field of a circulating light beam,” Foundations of Physics 33, 1307 (2003)]. The presence of closed timelike lines indicates the possibility of time travel into the past. This creates the foundation for a time machine based on a circulating cylinder of light.

Here’s some links to read more:

A Brief History of Time Travel – Audio of lecture by Mallett
What Time Is It There? – Article giving a nice background on Mallett and his research
Will UConn Professor Create First Time Machine? – Another article giving details on his theories and background
Ronald Mallett’s Homepage – Just a bio on him and a few links

Canada Considers Stocking Medical Marijuana In Pharmacies

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Ottawa, Ontario: Health Canada is considering a proposal to make medicinal marijuana available in pharmacies, according to published news reports in the Calgary Herald and the International Association for Cannabis as Medicine (IACM).

Read the full post "Canada Considers Stocking Medical Marijuana In Pharmacies" (203 words, estimated 49 secs reading time)

Psychiatric study for cancer patients to measure psychoactive medication

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Stage IV cancer patients who suffer from anxiety may want to investigate a new research study recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) taking place at The Research and Education Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, CA.

The specific aim of the study is to learn whether the psychoactive drug, psilocybin, might be effective in reducing anxiety, depression and physical pain, and therefore improving quality of life for Stage IV cancer patients. Psilocybin is a novel agent that produces a profound alteration in your state of consciousness. It is the main active ingredient found in “magic mushrooms”.

Read the full post "Psychiatric study for cancer patients to measure psychoactive medication" (329 words, estimated 1:19 mins reading time)

Making atoms cooler

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Physicists in Germany have developed a new technique to cool atoms with lasers. The method is applied to single atoms trapped in an optical cavity and is five times faster than conventional laser cooling techniques. Moreover, unlike existing techniques, it preserves the quantum state of the atoms. The new approach could be used to cool molecules and other systems that cannot be laser-cooled by conventional methods, and could also have applications in quantum information (P Maunz et al. 2004 Nature 428 50).

Read the full post "Making atoms cooler" (429 words and 1 image, estimated 1:43 mins reading time)