What is the "Oh My God" Particle?

One of the most entertaining names that I"ve come across in the physics sector is the "Oh My God Particle." Scientists also refer to this particle as the "ermahgerd particle" (kidding, kidding. It"s not really called that, but it is called the "Oh My God Particle"). Now, the first thing that my pop into some of your minds is the Higgs Boson, which was discovered in 2013. This isn"t too surprising as the media went around calling it the "God Particle." However, these two particles are very different.

So what is the Oh My God Particle? Well it is a simple, lowly proton. Why the name? Because the Oh My God Particle is the fastest ever found.

Learn about it, and find how fast it was traveling, at:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/what-is-the-oh-my-god-particle/

Image via NSF

Top 10 Science Discoveries of 2013

It"s been a big year for science. Below is a (very incomplete) list scientific discoveries that hit the news in 2013. These are the top stories in the eyes of From Quarks to Quasars. Undoubtedly though, there are many other worthy discoveries that should also be on this list. We welcome you to comment what you think the top discoveries should be. Perhaps your comments will act as a supplemental list for readers. With that in mind, be sure to include links to your favorites.

See FQtQ"s list at:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/top-10-science-discoveries-of-2013/

Compiled by "EvolutionEvidence.org:" https://www.facebook.com/EvolutionEvidence.org

Supernovae may Drive Evolution on Earth:

On Earth, we have an almost incomprehensible array of life. It comes in millions of different forms (the best estimate puts the figure at 8.7 million species, not counting bacteria). What"s more, these organisms are only an addition to the species that have long been extinct. What causes such diversity?

The answer seems rather simple -- seemingly random genetic mutations drive evolution. These mutations are the raw materials of genetic variation; without them, evolution could not occur. But what actually drives these random mutations? Well, this is where things get a little complicated; however, new light has been shed on one possible factor – supernovae.

Learn more at:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/supernovae-may-drive-evolution-on-earth/

Image source:
NASA

"Seeing" Cosmic Rays

You"ve probably heard of "cosmic rays" before - it"s a term that is thrown about regularly in modern astrophysics and cosmology - but do you know what they really are?

Cosmic rays are high-energy particles with intrinsic mass. They can come from outside the solar system or from extreme solar events (like solar flares). Cosmic rays range from atomic nuclei that have had all of their surrounding electrons stripped away to more exotic particles that make up the standard model. Photons used to be considered cosmic rays; however, they are quanta of electromagnetic radiation that have no intrinsic mass; photons are known by their common names, such as "gamma rays" or "X-rays."

The origin of cosmic rays is unknown, but they are suspected to be born from supernovae, possibly from outside our galaxy. The highest energies produced by cosmic rays have been found to be 40 million times that of those produced in the Large Hadron Collider, but most don"t reach this extreme. Fortunately, our atmosphere protects us from the main front of this strange phenomenon, but out in space where there is no protection, cosmic rays damage equipment--such as microelectronics. However, contrary to popular sci-fi movies, they don"t cause the development of superhuman abilities (The Fantastic Four, anyone?). Studies have tried to detect these particles in a number of experiments, but it has proven difficult for ground-based equipment. They are most easily detected as primary rays in space or the upper atmosphere, and our most effective way of picking up these elusive particles hasn"t been with fancy equipment, but actually through our own eyes!

To learn more about cosmic rays, see:
http://www.fromquarkstoquasars.com/seeing-cosmic-rays/

Image source:
http://www.aspera-eu.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=290&Itemid=196