Science Critical Digest: 19.12.11

1.  A research group at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has published a paper in Science, where they describe new regime of solar cells. These cells utillise lead selenide quantum dots for the capture of packets of light, called photons. These quantum dots allow the energy which is normally lost has heat during photon capture, to be converted into electrical energy instead. This allows the solar cell to produce more than one unit of electrical charge (an electron) per photon absorbed, something which was only conceived of theoretically until now. This work could pave the way for new high-efficiency solar cells, making them commercially competitive with fossil fuels. The paper can be read here: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/334/6062/1530.full

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2. Earlier this month, NASA announced the discovery of Kepler 22-b, a planet outside our solar system that orbits its star within the habitable zone. This zone, also known as the ‘Goldilocks zone’, is a region around a star where planets are neither too close nor too far from their sun, such that liquid water could be present on their surface. This makes Kepler 22-b and its moons excellent candidates for the search of extraterretrial life, or as extrasolar earth-like planets we could flee to if we really lose the plot back home. However, Kepler 22-b is 2.4 times the size of the earth (leading to a much stronger graviational pull), and scientists do not yet know whether it has a predominantly rocky or gaseous surface. However, this is a significant landmark in the search for earth-like planets. Read up on Nasa’s announcement here: http://kepler.nasa.gov/news/nasakeplernews/index.cfm?FuseAction=ShowNews&NewsID=165

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3. The team at CERN has announced that it is closing in on the Higgs Boson, the particle predicted to exist by the standard model of particle physics.  However, John Ellis, a theoretical physicist at King’s College, London, argues that whether or not the Higgs Boson is found, scientists must formulate new frameworks of particle physics. I won’t reveal the reason why he says this, but urge you to read his article in Nature here http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/481024a.html

The paragraph with the subheading ‘averting collapse’ is quite chilling.

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4. Rounding off this week’s Critical Digest are a few links on Bad Science. I want to highlight practices that the scientific community has debunked and recognised as pseudoscience, yet are still prevalent in many countries, especially India.

• Reiki: Uses ‘spiritual energy’ for healing. Has been shown to be ineffective as a treatment for any condition, alone or in conjunction with other therapies in randomised clinical trials. Tell your parents!! Read the studies here: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1742-1241.2008.01729.x/abstract;jsessionid=D1A896D44FC2280792CEE880654EC5FA.d02t03 and here http://www.liebertonline.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2009.0036

• Astrology: Debunked decades ago, yet is still offered as a taught degree in Indian universities. I’m not even kidding. Read this rather unfortunate article here: http://www.hindu.com/2004/05/06/stories/2004050602931400.htm as well as a takedown of this pseudoscientific discipline here: http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/skepticism/blfaq_astro_sci_pseudo.htm

• Homeopathy: As widespread as this practice is in India, it would chill your blood if you read the kind of utter quackery that it is based upon. A read of the following Wikipedia articles is highly recommended: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathy#Evidence as well as http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homeopathic_dilutions I highly recommend the second article, as one single thorough read will change your mind if you believe in this practice. Darryl Cunningham has also done a spectacular takedown here: http://darryl-cunningham.blogspot.com/2010/06/homeopathy.html

I’ll leave you now with a little something from the great Tim Minchin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhGuXCuDb1U

Whew, that was long. Until next time!