the conversation
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‘One of the Greatest Damn Mysteries of Physics’: Why Scientists Are Still Learning From Distant Suns
There’s an awkward, irksome problem with our understanding of nature’s laws which physicists have been trying to explain for decades. It’s about electromagnetism, the law of how atoms and light interact, which explains everything from why you don’t fall through the floor to why the sky is blue. Our theory of electromagnetism is arguably the…
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3D-Printed Firearms Are Illegal in Australia, But They’re Still Being Made
We have relatively strict, but not infallible, gun laws in Australia.
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Are Bananas Really ‘Radioactive’? An Expert Explains
The simple mention of the word “radiation” often evokes fear in people. For others, it’s fun to think a little exposure to radiation could turn you into the next superhero, just like the Hulk. But is it true basically everything around us is radioactive, even the food we eat? You may have heard bananas are…
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What Would Happen if the World Split in Half?
The very short version of the answer is: it would be the end of the world as we know it. All life on Earth would be brought to an end – so it would be a very bad day! Luckily, events that can tear a planet in half are very, very rare. But, believe it…