Newest
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How Does One Hear a Black Hole Sound?
A black hole is about the last thing you’d expect to hear. Space is nearly empty, and the famous NASA audio sounds as though somebody gave the universe a rather ominous bass note. So how does one hear a black hole sound? Scientists can measure ripples in gas around one black hole, then shift the…
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How Does One Find a Planet Around a Distant Star?
Imagine watching a porch light across the street and trying to tell whether a moth has flown in front of it. Now move the light several trillion miles away. That’s roughly the challenge behind planet hunting around other stars. If you’re wondering how to find exoplanets, or extrasolar planets, the answer is usually to watch…
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How Does One Break a Secret Code Without the Key?
You find a note that says “KHOOR” instead of “HELLO.” Nobody has left you a key, but the message isn’t keeping its secret particularly well. That’s the appeal of code breaking: a cryptology game where cryptanalysis reveals how a cipher was made. Sometimes letter patterns give the trick away. Other times, the message is too…
