Convince me otherwise

Wow, the Atlantic continues to cool, quite impressive given the hysteria over the 'SUPER EL NIÑO'

What happens when you divide an indivisible particle? Researchers from the University of Oslo in Norway have calculated what happens when a single photon is cut short by a shutter. A photon is a quantum of light, and as such indivisible qua mathematical definition. One might guess that blocking part of its wave packet leaves a superposition of two parts, one moving on, one not. The authors say the answer is much more difficult—and more interesting. According to their calculation, the result is a state with superpositions of 0, 1, 2, and in principle arbitrarily many photons. So it seems that cutting the photon creates infinitely many photons! The authors say that the reason is that cutting the photon itself requires energy, which creates photons, and theoretically infinite many of them. Paper: Rukan et al, PRL (2026), arXiv:2510.21636

Scientists Map 110 Quadrillion km of Underground Fungal Networks… A billion Times The Distance From Earth to the Sun! Earth’s Vast Underground “Carbon Superhighway” A groundbreaking new study published today in the journal Science has revealed, for the first time, the global scale of one of Earth’s most important but hidden biological infrastructures: the networks of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. These thread-like fungal structures, known as hyphae, form symbiotic partnerships with roughly 70% of land plant species—including major crops like wheat, corn, and rice. In exchange for sugars from the plants, the fungi deliver essential nutrients (such as phosphorus and nitrogen) and water, while also playing a massive role in storing carbon underground. Mind-Boggling Scale Using data from more than 16,000 soil cores worldwide, machine-learning models, and high-resolution robotic imaging of fungal hyphae, researchers estimated: •Total length: ~110 quadrillion kilometers (1.10 × 10¹⁷ km) of living hyphae in the top 15 cm of global soils—enough to stretch nearly a billion times the distance from Earth to the Sun (or about 10% of the diameter of the Milky Way if laid out in space). •Biomass: ~300 megatons of carbon, equivalent to 4–6 times the biomass of all humans on Earth. •These networks move about 1 billion metric tons of carbon per year into soils, acting as a critical “carbon circulatory system” that helps regulate the planet’s climate. Densities are highest in grasslands, with notable hotspots in places like the Sudd wetlands in Africa and the Everglades. The “Wood Wide Web” at Planetary Scale This research builds on the popular “Wood Wide Web” concept, where fungi connect plants in shared resource networks. The new global maps (available for exploration via the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks, or SPUN) show these connections operating at an ecosystem-wide level, supporting plant health, resilience to drought and disease, and food security. These fungi are vital allies in the fight against climate change and for sustainable agriculture. However, they face threats from soil disturbance (like tillage), pesticides, and land-use changes. The study also highlights gaps in sampling, particularly in undersampled ecosystems that need further research. Read the full research paper (paywalled, but abstract freely available): science.org/doi/10.1126/scie… 
Global density and biomass of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal networks Explore interactive maps and learn more at SPUN.earth. This discovery underscores how much of Earth’s life-support systems remain invisible to the naked eye yet operate on a truly planetary scale. Protecting these underground networks could be one of the most effective ways to sustain healthy soils, productive crops, and a stable climate.

⚛️ Voici à quoi ressemble réellement la désintégration radioactive... 🤯 À l’intérieur de cette chambre à brouillard hermétiquement fermée, un échantillon d’uranium émet en permanence des particules radioactives. Comme la chambre est remplie d’une vapeur d’alcool sursaturée maintenue à près de -40 °C, les particules émises ionisent les molécules d’air qu’elles traversent. Le résultat est fascinant : la vapeur d’alcool se condense instantanément autour de ces trajectoires ionisées, révélant de minuscules traînées visibles à l’œil nu. Les traces épaisses et courtes correspondent aux particules alpha, massives et chargées, qui traversent l’air en laissant derrière elles une signature bien marquée. Les traces fines et irrégulières sont produites par les électrons bêta, qui se déplacent à très grande vitesse en zigzaguant. Les traînées discrètes et presque fantomatiques sont associées aux rayonnements gamma, extrêmement énergétiques et capables de traverser la matière avec une grande facilité. Ce que vous observez ici est littéralement une fenêtre ouverte sur le monde subatomique, un univers invisible où la matière se transforme en permanence sous nos yeux. ✨