Are We Living in a Simulated Universe?

Are we all Neos, living in a simulated universe?

Still from Warnes Bros. All rights reserved.

If the universe is just a Matrix-like simulation, how could we ever know? Physicist Silas Beane of the University of Bonn, Germany, thinks he has the answer. His paper "Constraints on the Universe as a Numerical Simulation" has been submitted to the journal Physical Review D.

Justin Mullins: The idea that we live in a simulation is just science fiction, isn't it?
Silas Beane: There is a famous argument that we probably do live in a simulation. The idea is that in the future, humans will be able to simulate entire universes quite easily. And given the vastness of time ahead, the number of these simulations is likely to be huge. So if you ask the question: ?Do we live in the one true reality or in one of the many simulations?? the answer, statistically speaking, is that we're more likely to be living in a simulation.

JM: How did you end up working on this issue?
SB: My day job is to do high-performance computing simulations of the forces of nature, particularly the strong nuclear force. My colleagues and I use a gridlike lattice to represent a small chunk of space and time. We put all the forces into that little cube and calculate what happens. In effect, we're simulating a very tiny corner of the universe.

JM: How accurate are your simulations?
SB: We're able to calculate some of the properties of real things like the simplest nuclei. But the process also generates artifacts that don't appear in the real world and that we have to remove. So we started to think about what sort of artifacts might appear if we lived in a simulation.

JM: What did you discover?
SB: In our universe, the laws of physics are the same in every direction. But in a grid, this changes since you no longer have a spacetime continuum, and the laws of physics would depend on direction. Simulators would be able to hide this effect but they wouldn't be able to get rid of it completely.

JM: How might we gather evidence that we're in a simulation?
SB: Using very high-energy particles. The highest-energy particles that we know of are cosmic rays, and there is a well-known natural cutoff in their energy at about 10²⁰ electron volts. We calculated that if the simulators used a grid size of about 10^-27 meters, then the cutoff energy would vary in different directions.

JM: Do cosmic rays vary in this way?
SB: We don't know. The highest-energy cosmic rays are very rare. A square kilometer on Earth is hit by one only about once per century so we're not going to be able map out their distribution any time soon. And even if we do, it'll be hard to show that this is conclusive proof that we're in a simulation.

JM: But can we improve our own simulations?
SB: The size of the universe we simulate is a box with sides 10^-15 meters long. But we can use Moore's Law to imagine what we might be able to simulate in future. If the current trends in computing continue, we should be simulating a universe the size of a human within a century, and within five centuries, we could manage a box 10²⁶ meters big. That's the size of the observable universe.

JM: How have people reacted to your work?
SB: I gave a lecture on this topic the other week and the turnout was amazing. Half of the people looked at me as if I was disturbed and the other half were very enthusiastic.

This article originally appeared in New Scientist.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=223609ad1ee7e33090bf591e3a4fc65d

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Long gap after complaint won't support retaliation claim ? Business ...

A federal court has ruled that a two-year gap between an employee?s discrimination complaint and alleged retaliation is too long. Otherwise, employers could face retaliation claims years or even decades after resolving an original complaint.

Recent case: Erika and two other minority women worked for Lowe?s. Each complained that they sometimes encountered racially insulting graffiti at work. The company removed the offensive materials and started policing the workplace more aggressively.

Two years later, the women were fired for allegedly scheming to get improper discounts for Erika.

The women sued, alleging retaliation for complaining about the racial graffiti. Each claimed the discount allegations were false.

The court threw out their retaliation claim, reasoning two years was too long a gap to suggest retaliation. (Nelson, et al., v. Lowe?s, No. 3:11-CV-1497, ND TX, 2012)

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Nutrient-sensing enzymes key to starvation response and survival in newborn mammals

Dec. 23, 2012 ? In the perilous hours immediately after birth, a newborn mammal must survive the sudden loss of food supply from its mother. Under normal circumstances, newborns mount a metabolic response to ward off starvation until feeding occurs. This survival response involves a process of controlled breakdown of internal energetic sources known as autophagy. Although autophagy has been well documented, the key mechanistic regulators of autophagy in vivo have remained poorly understood.

Whitehead Institute researchers have discovered that a family of nutrient-sensing enzymes, dubbed Rag GTPases, modulates the activity of the mTORC1 protein complex, whose inhibition is essential for autophagy and survival in newborns. The finding, reported this week in the journal Nature, emerges from the lab of Whitehead Member David Sabatini, whose earlier in vitro studies showed that mTORC1 (for "mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1") senses the presence of vital amino acids via interactions with Rag GTPases.

To assess the impact of this Rag GTPase-mTORC1 relationship in mammals, the lab generated mice genetically altered to continually express an active form of the GTPase RagA and compared them with wild-type mice. In normal mice, RagA is activated in the presence of nutrients, and turns on the mTORC1 pathway, which regulates organismal growth in response to nutrient availability. If the mice are deprived of nutrients, RagA is switched off, deactivating mTORC1 and initiating autophagy to tide the animal over until the next feeding. However, in the altered mice, RagA's continuous activity keeps mTORC1 active, despite a dearth of available nutrients. Instead of mTORC1 triggering autophagy, the animals' metabolisms remain unchanged, resulting in nutritional crisis and death.

"What happens to a newborn animal with the RagA enzyme always on is pretty shocking," says Sabatini, who is also a professor of biology at MIT and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) investigator. "A normal neonate animal within an hour after birth responds to that condition, but one with its RagA stuck 'on' doesn't, and it dies. It basically has a huge energetic and nutritional crisis because it can't make the adaption."

These striking results stunned Alejo Efeyan, a postdoctoral researcher in the Sabatini lab, and first author of the Nature that describes this work.

"We were surprised that there was no inhibition of this pathway independent of RagA -- that there is no backup system," says Efeyan. "And that RagA is a more global nutrient sensor that goes beyond its known function as an amino acid sensor."

RagA's role as an amino acid sensor had been established in cultured cells by the Sabatini lab. Yet when Efeyan compared nutrient levels in fasting newborn RagA-active mice with those of fasting pups with normal RagA, not only amino acids were reduced in RagA-active animals, also glucose levels were dangerously low. The animals were unable to "sense" either of these reductions, so autophagy failed to initiate in the RagA-active pups, which all died within hours of birth.

This newly identified function for RagA suggests much remains unknown about the cell biology of nutrient sensing, an area of research that Sabatini and his lab continue to investigate.

This work was supported by National Institutes of Health (R01CA129105, R01 CA103866 and R37 AI047389), the American Federation for Aging, Starr Foundation, Koch Institute Frontier Research Program, the Ellison Medical Foundation, the Human Frontiers Science Program, the Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund for Medical Research, and the LAM Foundation.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. The original article was written by Nicole Giese Rura.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Alejo Efeyan, Roberto Zoncu, Steven Chang, Iwona Gumper, Harriet Snitkin, Rachel L. Wolfson, Oktay Kirak, David D. Sabatini, David M. Sabatini. Regulation of mTORC1 by the Rag GTPases is necessary for neonatal autophagy and survival. Nature, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/nature11745

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/eZMrrYeKRbs/121223152414.htm

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Bedbugs Ignore Alleged Ultrasonic Annoyers

Researchers found no proof that ultrasonic devices sold to repel these pesky blood suckers could deliver on that promise. Larry Greenemeier reports

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Your worst fears about those insect bites on your leg have been confirmed?your home has bedbugs. Don?t panic. There are ways of dealing with these blood-sucking pests. Unfortunately, they do not include gadgets that promise to get rid of bed bugs using ultrasonic frequencies.

Little is known about bedbug sensitivity to sound. But Northern Arizona University researchers report that commercial devices producing ultrasound do not repel bedbugs. In lab tests, the insects proved quite indifferent to sonic assaults. Their report is in the Journal of Economic Entomology. [K. M. Yturralde and? R. W. Hofstetter,
Efficacy of Commercially Available Ultrasonic Pest Repellent Devices to Affect Behavior of Bed Bugs (Hemiptera: Cimicidae)]

It?s also unproven whether similar ultrasonic devices sold to get rid of mosquitoes, cockroaches, fleas or ants work as advertised.

What is the best way to get rid of bedbugs? In a Scientific American article published earlier this year, University of Kentucky entomologist Kenneth Haynes noted that a combination of approaches?including heat treatment and a drying agent?works best.

Haynes recommends calling in trained professionals rather than taking on the problem yourself. So sleep tight. And, ya know?

?Larry Greenemeier

[The above text is a transcript of this podcast.]

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=2e9279cdb35320f9e3dbddfff2e5b3c2

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IRAQ: Iraqi President Talabani hospitalised after stroke

Iraqi President Jalal Talabani has been hospitalized in Baghdad after suffering a stroke and is in stable condition, a spokesman for the prime minister said Tuesday.

The development injected new uncertainty into the country?s political future, a year after the U.S. military left. The seriousness of the stroke is unclear.

Although his political powers are limited, Talabani, 79, is respected by many Iraqis as a rare unifying figure able to rise above the ethnic and sectarian rifts that still divide the country. Known for his joking manner and walrus-like moustache, Talabani has been actively involved in trying to mediate an ongoing crisis between Iraq?s central government and the country?s Kurdish minority, from which he hails.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has visited the hospital where Talabani is being treated, his spokesman, Ali al-Moussawi told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

Iraqi state TV also reported that the president has had a stroke.

Rifle-toting soldiers assigned to the presidential guard were deployed around Medical City, Baghdad?s largest medical complex, where Talabani is being treated. A number of senior government officials and lawmakers were seen rushing to the hospital to check on his condition, though their bodyguards were not being allowed inside.

Saadi Peira, a senior official in Talabani?s Patriotic Union of Kurdistan political party, said doctors expect they will need two to three days to determine whether Talabani should continue to receive medical care inside the country or he whether he should be taken to a hospital abroad.

Talabani?s office earlier said the Iraqi president had been taken to the hospital after showing signs of fatigue Monday evening, and that he was being treated for an unspecified health problem. It later said tests have shown he is suffering from a hardening of his arteries, though it described his condition as stable.

Talabani?s spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment.

An Iraqi Cabinet official said Talabani fainted on Monday and remains unconscious. The official agreed to speak only on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release details about the president?s health.

Talabani is overweight but little else is known publicly about his health.

Over the summer, he underwent knee-replacement surgery in Germany.

The Iraqi presidency is seen as a largely ceremonial post, though it does retain some powers under Iraq?s constitution. The president must sign off on laws approved by parliament and has the power to block executions.

Talabani, a member of Iraq?s Kurdish minority, has frequently used the post to mediate disputes within the government and among Iraq?s various sects and ethnic groups.

He has recently been working to resolve a standoff between the central government and the Kurds, who have their own fighting force.

The two sides last month moved additional troops into disputed areas along the Kurds? self-rule northern region, prompting fears that fighting could break out.

Talabani last week brokered a deal that calls on both sides to eventually withdraw troops from the contested areas, though there is no timetable for how soon the drawdown might take place.

Talabani met with al-Maliki earlier Monday. They agreed that al-Maliki would invite a delegation from the Kurdish regional government to Baghdad to continue the talks, according to the prime minister?s office.

(AP)

?

Source: http://www.france24.com/en/20121218-iraqi-president-talabani-hospitalised-stroke?ns_campaign=editorial&ns_source=RSS_public&ns_mchannel=RSS&ns_fee=0&ns_linkname=20121218_iraqi_president_talabani_hospitalised_stroke

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Virtual Blackboard ? The right solutions for replacing pen and paper ...

Click Image To Visit SiteIt is a substitute for traditional Blackboard or digital boards and is the best tool for teaching and learning. It is a unique and innovative educational-cum-presentation tool with new functionalities. It is a combination of writing, presentation and drawing tools.

How it is the cost effective and eco-friendly? This product saves 90% of expenditure in using paper, color and writing accessories. It involves paperless management creating an eco-friendly atmosphere. This tool ensures utter satisfaction in users in their teaching and learning process. It is also used in day to day life at home and office.

How it is unique and innovative? This tool is a substitute for traditional Blackboard or digital boards. Whatever is taught and drawn using virtual blackboard in the class is saved automatically for future reference. It can even be replayed step by step as it was drawn on the virtual blackboard in the class while teaching and can be modified as and when required.

How it is better and useful to all kinds of users? The files recorded from this tool are very small in size as compared to any video format. As a result, it can be viewed through internet in very low bandwidth. Even you can listen to the audio in any mp3 player device.

How ultimate the tool is for strengthening the knowledge? A child?s brain is blank, when he/she is born. Their brains are not equipped with any kind of previous knowledge. So when a teacher teaches any subject and gives any content knowledge once, it is not possible for any child to receive and remember it in totality. The knowledge can be consolidated in their brain if they study more number of times. For this a teacher has to teach or explain the subject contents number? Read more?

Source: http://higheredit.com/wordpress/virtual-blackboard-the-right-solutions-for-replacing-pen-and-paper-2/

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UN buys 20,000 T Indian-origin wheat for Ethiopia

(Reuters) - The father of the man suspected of killing 26 people at a Connecticut elementary school said on Saturday he was in a "state of disbelief" and was fully cooperating with law enforcement officials investigating the massacre. Peter Lanza, father of 20-year-old Adam Lanza, who law enforcement officials have said burst into Sandy Hook Elementary School on Friday and killed 20 children and six adults, said: "We are in a state of disbelief and trying to find whatever answers we can. We too are asking why. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/un-buys-20-000-t-indian-origin-wheat-151454444.html

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