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Measuring Muons
NPR's David Kestenbaum reports on a possible wrinkle in the space-time continuum. Really. Physicists measuring the fundamental characteristics of a subatomic particle, the muon, have come up with some very puzzling results that could punch a hole in the long-standing "standard model" of how matter is put together. And that could help usher in a completely new theory of matter, time and space. Unless, of course, some scientist has made a mistake. (4:30) (It was later revealed this was a mistake: "Well, I would say I'm responsible for the mistake. My collaborator did most of the work, but I am equally guilty of making mistakes." Toichiro Kinoshita, a physicist at Princeton University. Kinoshita's sin was to have a minus sign where he should have had a plus or maybe the other way around. He can't quite remember, though it ended up having gigantic consequences. Kinoshita and his colleague were calculating how a particular subatomic particle behaves when it's stuck in a magnetic field. The particle, it turns out, wobbles like a toy top at a particular frequency. Kinoshita enlisted hundreds of computers and, after a decade of heroic work, had precisely predicted how fast it should wobble according to the laws of physics. Last winter, other physicists who were out measuring the wobble found it differed significantly from Kinoshita's prediction. In the clockwork world of physics, this was potentially a huge finding, signaling something new and mysterious, except that it wasn't. Kinoshita traced his error to a tiny quirk in a computer program he was using. He hadn't checked that bit, in part because other physicists using a different approach had gotten the same answer."
Here's who will help Biden's Supreme Court pick navigate Senate hearings
There can be twists and turns in the Senate confirmation process. President Biden has asked former Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama to help his nominee through meetings and hearings.
On Reality TV, Less Sleep Means More Drama
Research shows that sleep deprivation makes people emotionally volatile and temperamental — a fact that hasn't escaped the notice of some reality TV producers, who deny contestants sleep in an effort to kick up televised drama.
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Russian figure skater was allowed to compete in the Olympics despite failed drug test
A top Russian figure skater was allowed to compete despite testing positive for a banned substance before the Games. Kamila Valieva, age 15, helped Russia win the team event earlier this week.
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Wilkes-Barre Avoids Worsened Flooding
People living near the Susquehanna River in Wilkes-Barre, Penn., are returning to their homes as river waters recede. But flooding still threatens other communities in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and other parts of the Northeast.
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Bonds Hits Home Run 715, Passing Ruth
Barry Bonds hits a 445-foot home run off Colorado Rockies' pitcher Byung-Hyun Kim, delighting the home fans in San Francisco. His 715 career home runs put him second on the all-time list behind Henry Aaron, who passed Ruth in 1974 and finished with 755 home runs.
Grammy Preview: Album Of The Year
Ever since the dawn of digital delivery, we've been hearing about how the single-song download is killing the album. But at the Grammy Awards, which take place Sunday night in Los Angeles, there's still a category for Album of the Year. Tom Moon profiles the nominees.
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Legendary Di Fara Pizza owner Domenico 'Dom' Demarco dies at age 85
Pizza makers in New York are remembering Domenico "Dom" Demarco, the founder of the beloved Brooklyn pizzeria Di Fara, who has died at the age of 85.
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Why U.S. strategy includes raising public alarms on Russia
The threat of Russia invading Ukraine is real, the Biden administration insists. At the same time, top officials say they hope that being vocal about the intelligence they have could deter action.
Nathan Chen wins gold in men's figure skating at the Beijing Olympics
The 22-year-old American topped a competitive field Thursday in Beijing. Figure skaters from Japan came in second and third.
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