Scientists create light-matter like Darth Vader's lightsaber
A beam of light is supposed to shine off into infinity, but when Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker whip out their lightsabers for some spark-flying action, the light blades extrude like stick deodorant and then just stop.
It's like they're sticks of light-matter.
Hollywood may have made that stuff up, but now, scientists at MIT and Harvard have actually made that stuff -- not enough for a lightsaber, only a subatomic smidgeon. But even that much is a big deal.
Light-matter existed previously only in theory, but now, for the first time, it has been observed in reality, researchers from the Center for Ultracold Atoms say.
To oversimplify things, we'll say that photons are subatomic particles that make up light. They have no detectable mass the way most matter does, and usually, they don't stick together. You can shoot two lasers at each other, and the photons will pass right through one another.
But physicists Mikhail Lukin and Vladan Vuletic recently got them to stick together to form molecules.
They published the results of their work in the science journal Nature this week.
The newly created photon molecules don't behave like traditional light, but more like a lightsaber, Lukin said. "The physics of what's happening in these molecules is similar to what we see in the movies."
But don't picture yourself swashbuckling with a lightsaber just yet. As in the creation of pretty much all unusual matter, scientists have to produce extreme conditions in laboratories that can't exist naturally anywhere on Earth.
They pumped atoms of rubidium, a kind of metal, into a vacuum chamber -- air would otherwise rapidly alter them. This created a metal cloud that they cooled down with lasers to about -450 degrees Fahrenheit, near what is called absolute zero. That makes atoms almost stand still.
Then they fired photons into the atom cloud.
The photons, elements of light, did not shoot through at the speed of light but acted a little like regular matter instead. They bumped into the atoms in a way similar to the way regular matter would.
In the process, the photons slowed down enough to bump into each other and bond into molecules.
It was a first.
Though that's fascinating, it doesn't make for a handy lightsaber.
But it could help in the future development of super computers known as quantum computers, Lukin said. And with some work, scientists could make whole crystals out of light.
So, if Darth Vader shows up with a lightsaber, your great-grandchildren may be able to throw photon rocks at him.
But don't count on it. - CNN
**********
Top 5 celebrity ghost encounters
Have you ever heard something go bump in the night, see a strange dark shadow out of the corner of your eye, or just come face to face with what you believe is some sort of ghostly spirit?
If you have ever endured some sort of paranormal encounter then take comfort in knowing that the spirit world also on occasion stops by to visit with some of the biggest names in Hollywood also.
Here is a list of the top five biggest celebrity ghost stories to enjoy.
5. Kate Hudson
Kate Hudson, the daughter of celebrity actress Goldie Hawn and known for her hit film “How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days” reveals that while she was filming the horror thriller “Skeleton Key” she had a ghostly encounter of her own.
Hudson claims that she has seen a ghost with no face, which paranormal activity specialist call a “ghostly archetype.” Kate stated that she came in contact with this ghost several times, Kate believes she has also been visited by the spirit of her grandmother, who is watching out for her from beyond.
4. Nicholas Cage
Nic Cage claims that he also has several ghostly tales but the one that comes to his mind first involves the time he was vacationing at Francis Ford Coppola’s home in Napa.
Cage claims he was staying in the attic bedroom at the estate when he was visited by the ghost of a woman with a big teased up hair style. Cage claims his first thought was that he was being visited by his dead aunt, until she got to close to him and left the “Face Off” star frightened beyond belief.
3. Matthew McConaughey
McConaughey confessed he was was visited by a ghost, and that it really “freaked” him out back in 2003.the “Ghosts of Girlfriends Past” star described the encounter saying that he kept hearing noises that sounded like someone was dropping a dime from the ceiling to the floor.
Matthew stated he jumped from his bed and began searching room to room for whatever was making the ghostly noises.Now he claims he is at ease with his ghost and even named her calling her Madame Blue, and he says reveals that they all get along very well together.
2. Keanu Reeves
Reeves claims that his ghost tale is fairly simple, but equally creepy. Keanu claims that when he was just a small child of five, he and his sister had a run in with a ghost that was haunting their home, describing it as a ghostly apparition who was wearing a double-breasted suit, the spirit however had no legs.
1. Anna Nicole Smith
We saved the oddest celebrity ghost encounter for last and it involves the late Anna Nicole Smith. Those of you who are familiar with the eccentricities of the deceased model know that Anna did not do anything in her life in a small nature.
So, not only was Ann Nicole Smith being haunted by a spirit she claims she was also having sex with her ghostly visitor, who she first thought was a deceased boyfriend from her past, she late reveals that it was not a familiar past spirit, but a spirit that she became intimately familiar with, who she also stated was a great lover!
There you have it the five top celebrity ghost encounters, which one was your favorite tale? - Hollywood News Daily
Celebrity Ghost Stories
I Believe in Ghosts: True Stories of Some Haunted Celebrities and Their Celebrated Haunts.
**********
Grand River Cryptid?
Strange creatures lurking in area bayous and waterways have made headlines in the Grand Haven Tribune since the latter half of the 1800s. In the 1890s, Tribune Publisher Horace Nichols wrote that having a sea serpent somewhere near a hotel or resort was actually good for business, as it drew in tourists.
The most famous of unidentified serpents or water creatures was the monster of Stearns Bayou, which made a few appearances out front of the old Gun Club near the bridge in August 1909. Several credible witnesses saw the large, glowing, turtle-like creature with a long neck and hippopotamus-like head. The Tribune published four articles concerning it.
What it was — if it ever was — remains a mystery. It never reappeared.
Most sightings of water creatures remain unidentified mysteries. However, one appearance 114 years ago caused quite a stir — until the mystery was solved, of course.
On July 12, 1899, just before noon, Pete Donnally looked out the window of the Grand Haven Tannery and was astonished to see what he described to the Grand Haven Tribune as “a large sea serpent,” swimming rapidly down the main channel of the Grand River, in the distance.
A number of other employees of the tannery gathered at the windows, witnessing the creature as well.
Donnally described the creature’s glimmering eyes, resembling “two big balls of fire,” while others could see great spurts of water shoot from its nostrils. The creature created a visible wake up on the high banks of Lievense Island, in the river.
Lievense Island was named for the property owner, William Lievense, who purchased land on the river islands to grow celery and other farm produce.
It was reported a man named Otto armed himself with a pitchfork, in hopes of harpooning the monster if it ventured near the dock, and employee Nyland went to retrieve a camera.
The Nimrod tannery gang went out to borrow a gun, while a man named Hicks grabbed a halter with thoughts of capturing the creature alive. Mr. VanDyk, chief of the Relief Hose Co., went to turn in an alarm, while Dick Bishop went to notify the police, who arrived at the scene in short order.
A gentleman named Bryon, who had spent some years in Florida, declared that the creature was a crocodile. Another man, Mr. Murray, thought it might be a submarine torpedo boat.
Harry Bishop, official correspondent of the Wheeling Glassblower’s Gazette, took notes as the story unfolded. By this time, word had spread and a crowd had gathered at the river banks.
Franz Cadee, an elderly saltwater sailor, shaded his eyes for a moment, viewing the creature, and determined it was “an exact counterpart” of a mermaid he saw near the Cape Verde Islands in 1859.
But it was Capt. Griffin, of the yacht Water Cross, who used his spyglass to reveal the creature’s true identity.
It was a horse owned by Peter Roossien, and it had entered the river from the island pasture opposite the community of Northville. It ended up at Bailey’s dock in Grand Haven, having swam a full mile.
The majority of other water creature tales in Ottawa County history point to being rather large fish or a dog paddling in a body of water. There were other swimming horses, as well.
It was not uncommon over a century ago for sailors residing in Ottawa County to claim they saw a mermaid while out on Lake Michigan. However, there is no record of one being captured and brought to town for public display.
Also of note are legends of bottomless underwater pits or caverns such as one said to exist more than 100 years ago in Stearns Bayou known as Clark's Bottomless Pond. It was said creatures from Lake Michigan and even oceans could navigate into local bodies of water using these hidden passageways.
And, of course, when the creatures vanished, they used the same passageway to get out of town. - Grand Haven Tribune
North American Lake Monsters: Stories
Field Guide to Lake Monsters, Sea Serpents, and Other Mystery Denizensof the Deep
**********
Received this image...what do you think?
A friend of mine suggested that I contact you after she looked at my pictures.
This past summer my bf and I made a delivery in Corinth and late ventured to Tupelo to visit The BirthPlace of Elvis Presley Museum. It was late so we couldn't go inside but these pictures were way more than we bargained for!!
This picture was taken with my IPhone 4S. When zooming in you'll see in the trees to the right of the picture spirits hanging in the left edge side of tree!! There are quite a few! Some look to me like a wizard with a pointed hat, or a KKK outfit. A little boy wearing a hat appears clearly just floating to the far right. I'm sure you'll see them all!! Please contact me back if interested in more pictures and details.
Haunted Mississippi: The Most Haunted Locations
East Tupelo & Elvis, That's the Way It Was
**********
TODAY'S TOP LINKS
10 Credible Mermaid Sightings?
Stanislav Petrov: The man who may have saved the world
UFOs and Significant Voices
Operation Munchkin: Bizarre Nazi plan to breed giant Angora rabbits in concentration camps for fur-lined clothes for Hitler's men
Flesh-Eating Drug Krokodil Finally Shows Up in the US
Join Eric Altman, Lon Strickler and Sean Forker
each Sunday at 8 PM ET as we go
Beyond the Edge!
Call toll free 1-877-677-2858 during the live broadcast
----------
Tune in each week for a new and exciting podcast.
Add 'Beyond The Edge' Radio to your Stitcher playlist!
Announcements, videos, discussion, etc. coming your way!
Click ad to order tickets and for directions
"The latest news from beyond the mainstream"
Join Ben & Aaron for their weekly podcasts!
Check out Mysterious Universe Plus+ all access format!
Click to submit a sighting report or encounter
Free shipping - Bonded dealer - PCI certified
