Written as a course project in my History class about my home town... probably not superbly written, but at least it's some cool info!
The city of Hamilton, Ohio has a long, rich history attached to it. Hamilton is known nationally and internationally for many reasons. Many famous people have been born in Hamilton. Hamilton was once known as the only city in the United States that legally included punctuation in its name. Hamilton! Hamilton was a target for the Russians during the Cold War, due to its proximity to a uranium refining facility, bomb shell casings made in Hamilton, proximity to Wright Patterson Air Force Base and Voice of America. Hamilton also was a major manufacturer of bank safes in the U.S. as well as home to major paper mills of Champion and Beckett paper. Hamilton got its start long before there was ever a city occupying this land. Before Hamilton became Hamilton, there was Fort Hamilton. Fort Hamilton was a fort in colonial days used as a base to fight the American Indians.
Construction on Fort Hamilton was ordered by Arthur St. Clair in 1791. Fort Hamilton was to be the first fort north of the Cincinnati area and was built in Native American Territory. Fort Hamilton was named after Alexander Hamilton, George Washington’s Secretary of Treasury and friend of General St. Clair. It was also to serve as an outpost and supply depot for the expeditions against the Native Americans. Fort Hamilton was constructed as a square stockade having 4 walls, approximately 50 yards long each. Fort Hamilton had 4 protruding diamond shaped walls. Fort Hamilton construction was completed in the month of October of 1791. The very next year, in 1792, General Anthony Wayne added onto Fort Hamilton to add stables. (“History Central”)
General St. Clair led his troops to battle Tecumseh and was defeated at Fort Recovery. Tecumseh was later beaten by Mad Anthony Wayne in Fallen Timbers. Tecumseh was quoted to say “Unless we support one another with our collective forces, they will soon conquer us, and we will be driven away from our native country and scattered as leaves before the wind..." (butlercountyohio.com) After the battle of Fallen Timbers in 1796 where Tecumseh was defeated, Fort Hamilton was dismantled. (“Monument”) General’s St. Clair and Wayne were always rivals in their own military. General St. Clair in history seems to have gone down less favorably; however a section of present day Hamilton is named after him.
In 1794 Hamilton was laid out to be called Fairfield. Fairfield later was named Hamilton, after Alexander Hamilton. In present day, Fairfield is a neighboring city to Hamilton. First incorporated in 1810 by the act of Ohio General Assembly however it lost its status in 1814 after failure to hold elections. In 1827 Hamilton joined with Rossville, a town across the river and re-incorporated. After a period of time they severed their relationship, only to rejoin in 1854. Hamilton officially became a city in 1857. Rossville and other towns with in Hamilton are now preserved as historical districts. The historical districts are rich with architecture and cuisine that is reflective of the heritage and culture of those that once inhabited the area, mostly German or Italian.
In 1840, Hamilton had a population of just over 1400 people. It consisted of two rail lines and two canals (Miami and Erie) which ran through the city. In forty years time, new residents from Europe raised the population to over 12,000! The town had several newspapers, factories and a brewery.
President Lincoln arrived in Hamilton in the afternoon of Sept. 17, 1859, on the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railroad. He arrived at the Hamilton Station (the station still exists and has been placed on the city's Historic Preservation list). Lincoln spoke in Hamilton, Ohio that day about Popular Sovereignty. Lincoln began his speech paying tribute to the Miami Valley. He said: "This beautiful and far-famed Miami Valley is the garden spot of the world." (“Warren County Local History”)
The year of celebration was in 1891 for the city of Hamilton. Hamilton was celebrating the Centennial of establishment. Invitations were sent out to prominent residents and those who had moved away to come and speak or attend the celebration. Many of the response letters were published and show great admiration and love towards the town they were born in or grew up in. One of the letters, by George L. Andrew, states “Then hail to the dear old town-city now, as she enters with ‘strength renewed as the eagles,’ upon her second century. Thankful for her past, we look forward with hope and trust to the future that has in it yet greater things for her. God bless her.” (“Google Books”)
Champion paper incorporated and opened doors in Hamilton in the year of 1893. It saw devastation twice, once by fire in 1901 and a second time by a flood and which sparked a fire in 1913. The plant, however, did not let the fires stop them. Twice they rebuilt and bought all new equipment, which in turn gave them a hefty leg up against their competition that were stuck using outdated and overworked equipment. Champion thrived as a company, making high quality coated papers and never ventured into the business of newspaper paper. Although the depression hurt them temporarily, they were quick to bounce back. In the early to mid 1900’s paper Industry in Hamilton boomed with the availability of German and Italian workers
In 1913 Hamilton experienced “The Great Flood” which destroyed what was left of Fort Hamilton. (“Monument”) Today there are markets on all old buildings and even some new buildings showing how high the water levels rose to. There are many flood plains and barrier walls as well as dams in place now to prevent another devastating flood.
In the prohibition period of the 1920’s and 30’s many Chicago gangsters visited Hamilton on a regular basis giving Hamilton the name “Little Chicago”. The city had a reputation for gangsters, guns and booze. Members of John Dillinger's gang hid out here in the 1930’s. Many gangsters were known to have second homes in the area. (“Profile for Hamilton”)
During WWII, area soldiers were prohibited for entering the entire city of Hamilton due to the high incidences of bars, gambling and brothels. Prostitution and gambling were very common along a street now know as Pershing Ave. (“Hamilton, Ohio”) Pershing today is still known as an area of town to stay away from due to low income and high crime. Ironically the local branch campus of Miami University is only a block away.
The Cold War put Hamilton on the map as a likely hit list location. Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Fernald Uranium Plant and Voice of America were all in the vicinity and bomb casings were made locally in Hamilton.
In attempt to gain national recognition, in the 1980’s Hamilton, Ohio became the first city to add punctuation to the official name. Hamilton became Hamilton!. “Hamilton is a city, a self-contained town, a suburb, a satellite in the orbits of both Cincinnati and Dayton, a minor metropolitan cluster, a county seat, a bump on the plain, a galactic microdot where 63,189 people wait to see what will happen next.” (Hometown 1982 Peter Davis)
A historical moment was marked in 1999 for the city of Hamilton, as Hamilton had previously been the second largest city not connected to a major interstate highway. In 1999 a Butler County Regional Highway (129) was put in and has brought tremendous new growth to Hamilton as well as surrounding townships.
Famous Hamiltonians include, but are not limited to: Charles Richter, Ray Combs, and Joe Nuxhall. Charles Richter is the invented the Richter Scale in 1932. The Richter Scale measures seismic activity, most notably, earthquakes. Until 1979 when the Moment Magnitude Scale was developed, it was the only resource for measuring earthquakes and helping scientist understand the seismic activity. Ray Combs was a famous comedian the second, if not most popular host of the popular show “Family Feud”. Joe Nuxhall was a professional baseball player. He played most of his career as a left handed pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds. He is known as the league’s youngest player. He entered professional baseball at the age of 15, due to the lack of players during WWII.
The City of Hamilton continues to re-invent itself in new ways like now being known as the “City of Sculpture”. (“Arts & Culture – City of Hamilton”) The cities involvement in the arts reflects all over town with the yearly sculpture contests which are displayed all along the city streets, as well as permanent statues and sculptures. A popular destination to spend the day within Hamilton is Pyramid Hill. Pyramid Hill is famous for his pyramid shaped permanent resident home as well as sculptures, photography contests and craft fairs. Another art center in Hamilton is the Fitton Center. The Fitton Center is a non-profit organization that encourages local artists by offering a wide variety of educational classes as well as displaying art work of many different mediums.
Hamilton has its quirks and lower income areas around town, but the rich history and diverse culture make it an enjoyable place to live. When in participating in local events you can see the pride that the people of this city hold for their home and its history. Hamilton’s beginning days as a fort to now having the sole hospital in town being the fort’s namesake has been an interesting journey. Little pieces of history are still in the making and I look forward to watching its progress.
References
Fort Hamilton. (2006) Butler County Monument. Butler County Monument. Retrieved October
4, 2009, from the World Wide Web: http://www.butlercountyohio.org/monument/index.cfm?page=fthamilton
Fort Hamilton (2005) Ohio History Central. Retrieved October 4, 2009, from the World Wide
Web: http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=707
Ohio Pix. (unknown) Ohio Pix. Ohio Pix. Retrieved October 4, 2009, from the World Wide Web: http://ohsweb.ohiohistory.org/ohiopix/search.cfm?searchfield=LCSubject&searchterm=Fort%20Hamilton%20(Ohio)
1881 History of Hamilton County Index. (2000-2008) 1881 History of Hamilton Ohio. Retrieved on October 4, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ohhamilt/histhc/mnindex.html
City of Hamilton. (2008) City of Hamilton OH Department History. Retrieved on October 4,
2009 from the World Wide Web: http://www.hamilton-city.org/index.aspx?page=234
Hamilton, Ohio (2009) Ohio History Central. Retrieved on October 11, 2009 from the World
Wide Web: http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=1938
Champion International Corporation. (1998) Funding Universe. Retrieved on October 11, 2009
from the World Wide Web: http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Champion-International-Corporation-Company-History.html
Abraham Lincoln Visits Southwestern Ohio (2004) Warren County Local History. Retrieved on
October 11, 2009 from the World Wide Web: (http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ohwarren/Bogan/bogan045.htm
The Centennial Celebration of Hamilton. (1892) The Centennial Anniversary City Hamilton,
Ohio, September 17-19, 1891. Retrieved October 11, 2009 from the World Wide Web via google books. http://books.google.com/books?id=BzwVAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA315&lpg=PA315&dq=history+of+the+city+of+hamilton,+ohio&source=bl&ots=RaxS75HfcZ&sig=e1FaGegCdJpMVVdqDx-JkJfTPSk&hl=en&ei=8GnSStXXDcvFlAeIr6mpCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CCkQ6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=history%20of%20the%20city%20of%20hamilton%2C%20ohio&f=false
Profile for Hamilton, Ohio. (2007) Hamilton Community Profile. Retrieved October 11, 2009
from the World Wide Web: http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=16821
Monday, October 19, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
Black Holes
Black Holes are the mysterious objects in our universe which no one can see. This puts the black hole into a category all its own. We can never absolutely prove the existence of black holes because they are unable to be seen. This paper will discuss the creation, physical characteristics and optical anomalies of a black hole. In the process of discussing the black holes I will discuss properties of gravity and light, and discuss where the laws of physics no longer apply. Characteristics such as the photon sphere, singularity, Einstein Rings, binary systems and Schwarzschild Radius will also be discussed.
rs=2Gm
c2
Towards the end of a stars life the star will undergo changes that will lead to its permanent state. This state is primarily based on the mass of each star. The less massive stars, like our Sun, will balloon into Red Giants and collapse in on themselves, becoming a white dwarf. Larger stars will explode into supernovae then collapse into a neutron star or a black hole. The smallest black holes science has found are about 4 times more massive than our Sun. The Schwarzschild radius can calculate the threshold a star needs to achieve to become a black hole. If we were to compress the Earth to this threshold, the earth would have a diameter of 16mm before it would become a black hole. The equation to figure the radius of a mass is as follows. Where G is the gravitational constant, c is the speed of light, and m is the mass of the object.
The Black Hole itself is theorized to be a single point in space where matter is compressed to infinite density and zero volume. This point is called the singularity. At this point, it is believed that the properties of physics break down. Space and time are no longer relevant and new rules apply called quantum gravity. It is impossible to know for sure what happens at the singularity because a black hole’s gravity is so strong that not even light can escape. It can only be theorized through mathematics as to what happens at and near this point.
When a black hole is formed, light is emitted that will never enter the black hole, nor will it escape the gravitational pull. This forms a photon sphere or the black holes surface. A more common name for this surface or photon sphere is called the event horizon. The event horizon is the point in which no light can escape. As a result, we will never be able to see what lies behind this event horizon. Anything that crosses the event horizon will be sucked into the black hole. Light and other energy emitted away from the black hole before it crosses will eventually make it into space.
If we were to visit a black hole, what would we see? If we sent a space craft towards a black hole and observed from Earth, there wouldn’t be much to watch. The spacecraft would appear to slow down as it approached the black hole. As the spacecraft got closer and closer, it would appear to start turning red, then slowly fade from view. This happens because as the spacecraft would get closer to the black hole the light being reflected off the craft would be slowed by the gravity of the black hole. This slowing would stretch the light wave into the infrared spectrum. This would make the spacecraft appear to slow down and turn red even though it is accelerating towards the speed of light itself.
If we were to go to a black hole ourselves, it wouldn’t be a very pleasant ride. As we neared the black hole, the immense gravity would pull on our head and feet, pushing inwards on our sides, stretching us into spaghetti. As what is left of our bodies accelerated to almost the speed of light, our molecules would break down and emit radiation. We can only speculate what could happen after we cross the event horizon and head towards the singularity. Beyond the event horizon all our known laws of physics break down and are no longer applicable.
The very nature of black holes makes it very difficult to view and observe them. However, there are several ways we can detect black holes and theorize their existence. One way we can detect a black hole is by the Accretion disk surrounding the black hole. This disk is matter that is rotating around the black hole as it gets sucked past the event horizon. Before the matter is sucked into the black hole it is stretched out into a disk shape around the black hole.
When a star gets too close to a black hole, or a black hole is part of a binary system, we can observe the star rotating around a point in space, or even being pulled apart and entering the Accretion disk of the black hole. As matter stretches towards the event horizon it increases in speed to near the speed of light and releases large amounts of radiation. This radiation that is emitted before the matter crosses the event horizon is another way to detect the presence of a black hole. The radiation will escape the gravity of the black hole and some will make their way to Earth where sophisticated telescopes can pick up and measure the X-rays.
Gravitational Lensing is a phenomenon that occurs around very strong gravitational fields. Strong gravitational fields are able to bend light. This can have some strange effects to the observer. There are instances where we can observe the same star in two different points in the sky, at two different points in the stars life. This is because some light from the star shines directly toward Earth. Some light from that star shines away from earth, but at some point is bent back towards earth by a strong gravitational field. The light that is bent back has traveled further and is dimmer. But that light came from the same star even though it appears to have come from a different source.
A peculiar type of gravitational lensing can occur if the source, lens and observer are aligned properly. Einstein Rings occur around black holes and neutron stars. An Einstein Ring occurs when light from a star shines towards a strong gravitational field and is bent around that field back towards an observer. This makes the star to appear as a ring of light around a black hole or neutron star. There are infinite points at which an Einstein Ring can occur based on the location of the observer. What we do know is that between each Einstein Ring is an entire picture of the sky. This is due to the bending of the light.
There is a particular Einstein Ring called the “Self” Einstein Ring. This ring is directly at the event horizon. If an observer were to look across the event horizon, that observer would be able to see the back of their head. This is because the gravity is so strong at the event horizon that the light energy would bend completely around the black hole.
There are other types of black holes that are thought to be at the center of each galaxy. A Supermassive black hole in the Milky Way Galaxy is thought to be 4.3 million times the mass of our sun. Recent observing techniques have improved the measuring of black holes and the M87 black hole is thought to be up to 7 billion solar masses. These enormous black holes are thought to be formed early in the creation of the universe in immense nebula clouds, not from a dying star.
Stephen Hawking also theorized the existence of tiny black holes in the beginning of the universe after the big bang. These black holes didn’t have a mass much larger than an asteroid and were created by the immense pressure of the big bang. These black holes however, most likely disappeared due to what is called Hawking Radiation. These black holes would emit this radiation until no mass was left to emit, killing the black hole.
The Large Hadron Collider once it is fully operational may produce many tiny black holes. These black holes would only last for nanoseconds and only have a mass of a couple photons. This new device may be able to give us a look into the few nanoseconds after the big bang to better understand the existence and destruction of matter.
There is much speculation and new theories as to what is possible if we could harness the power of a black hole. One popular theory is a wormhole. A wormhole is essentially two connected black holes through space. Since space and time break down inside a black hole, these two connected black holes could be on the opposite side of the universe, yet be connected at the same time. It is theoretically possible (if we could withstand the gravity) to travel into a wormhole and out the other side almost instantaneously. It is also believed that wormholes can unlock the key to time travel.
A new emerging theory is the existence of what is called white holes. White holes are polar opposites of black holes. A white hole ejects matter from its singularity. It is the time reversal of a black hole. This would mean that a white hole and a black hole are the same thing at different points in time, at the same time. This theory also suggests that when a black hole is formed, a new dimension is created and a big bang happens in that dimension. All the matter sucked into a black hole in our universe, in this dimension is ejected through a white hole in a new dimension, creating a new universe.
I have discussed how a black hole may form from a large dying star, the properties of a black hole and individual characteristics of the singularity and photon sphere. I have described how a black hole may look to us from Earth and what it may look like if we were to travel there ourselves. The optical anomalies surrounding a black hole help us detect its existence even though its existence cannot be proven. The appearance of multiple stars and Einstein Rings lead to conclusions of very strong gravitational fields of a neutron star or black hole. The work of Stephen Hawking on Hawking radiation and the speculation and new theories surrounding black holes will be sure to intrigue generations to come. Black holes are fascinating objects in science and many more things than what I have presented can be learned about them.
Bibliography
"Accretion disk." The Worlds of David Darling. Web. 15 Aug. 2009. http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/A/accretiond.html
"Anatomy of A Black Hole." NCSA Web archive bounce page. Web. 15 Aug. 2009. http://archive.ncsa.illinois.edu/Cyberia/NumRel/BlackHoleAnat.html
"Black hole (astronomy) -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia." Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Web. 15 Aug. 2009. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/67925/black-hole
"Black Hole Encyclopedia." Black Hole Encyclopedia. Web. 15 Aug. 2009. http://blackholes.stardate.org/
"Black Hole (Rs)." Sixty Symbols - Physics and Astronomy videos. Web. 15 Aug. 2009. http://www.sixtysymbols.com
"HubbleSite: Black Holes: Gravity's Relentless Pull." HubbleSite -- Out of the ordinary...out of this world. Web. 15 Aug. 2009. http://hubblesite.org/explore_astronomy/black_holes/home.html
"Virtual Trips to Black Holes and Neutron Stars Page." Astronomy Picture of the Day. Web. 15 Aug. 2009. http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/rjn_bht.html
rs=2Gm
c2
Towards the end of a stars life the star will undergo changes that will lead to its permanent state. This state is primarily based on the mass of each star. The less massive stars, like our Sun, will balloon into Red Giants and collapse in on themselves, becoming a white dwarf. Larger stars will explode into supernovae then collapse into a neutron star or a black hole. The smallest black holes science has found are about 4 times more massive than our Sun. The Schwarzschild radius can calculate the threshold a star needs to achieve to become a black hole. If we were to compress the Earth to this threshold, the earth would have a diameter of 16mm before it would become a black hole. The equation to figure the radius of a mass is as follows. Where G is the gravitational constant, c is the speed of light, and m is the mass of the object.
The Black Hole itself is theorized to be a single point in space where matter is compressed to infinite density and zero volume. This point is called the singularity. At this point, it is believed that the properties of physics break down. Space and time are no longer relevant and new rules apply called quantum gravity. It is impossible to know for sure what happens at the singularity because a black hole’s gravity is so strong that not even light can escape. It can only be theorized through mathematics as to what happens at and near this point.
When a black hole is formed, light is emitted that will never enter the black hole, nor will it escape the gravitational pull. This forms a photon sphere or the black holes surface. A more common name for this surface or photon sphere is called the event horizon. The event horizon is the point in which no light can escape. As a result, we will never be able to see what lies behind this event horizon. Anything that crosses the event horizon will be sucked into the black hole. Light and other energy emitted away from the black hole before it crosses will eventually make it into space.
If we were to visit a black hole, what would we see? If we sent a space craft towards a black hole and observed from Earth, there wouldn’t be much to watch. The spacecraft would appear to slow down as it approached the black hole. As the spacecraft got closer and closer, it would appear to start turning red, then slowly fade from view. This happens because as the spacecraft would get closer to the black hole the light being reflected off the craft would be slowed by the gravity of the black hole. This slowing would stretch the light wave into the infrared spectrum. This would make the spacecraft appear to slow down and turn red even though it is accelerating towards the speed of light itself.
If we were to go to a black hole ourselves, it wouldn’t be a very pleasant ride. As we neared the black hole, the immense gravity would pull on our head and feet, pushing inwards on our sides, stretching us into spaghetti. As what is left of our bodies accelerated to almost the speed of light, our molecules would break down and emit radiation. We can only speculate what could happen after we cross the event horizon and head towards the singularity. Beyond the event horizon all our known laws of physics break down and are no longer applicable.
The very nature of black holes makes it very difficult to view and observe them. However, there are several ways we can detect black holes and theorize their existence. One way we can detect a black hole is by the Accretion disk surrounding the black hole. This disk is matter that is rotating around the black hole as it gets sucked past the event horizon. Before the matter is sucked into the black hole it is stretched out into a disk shape around the black hole.
When a star gets too close to a black hole, or a black hole is part of a binary system, we can observe the star rotating around a point in space, or even being pulled apart and entering the Accretion disk of the black hole. As matter stretches towards the event horizon it increases in speed to near the speed of light and releases large amounts of radiation. This radiation that is emitted before the matter crosses the event horizon is another way to detect the presence of a black hole. The radiation will escape the gravity of the black hole and some will make their way to Earth where sophisticated telescopes can pick up and measure the X-rays.
Gravitational Lensing is a phenomenon that occurs around very strong gravitational fields. Strong gravitational fields are able to bend light. This can have some strange effects to the observer. There are instances where we can observe the same star in two different points in the sky, at two different points in the stars life. This is because some light from the star shines directly toward Earth. Some light from that star shines away from earth, but at some point is bent back towards earth by a strong gravitational field. The light that is bent back has traveled further and is dimmer. But that light came from the same star even though it appears to have come from a different source.
A peculiar type of gravitational lensing can occur if the source, lens and observer are aligned properly. Einstein Rings occur around black holes and neutron stars. An Einstein Ring occurs when light from a star shines towards a strong gravitational field and is bent around that field back towards an observer. This makes the star to appear as a ring of light around a black hole or neutron star. There are infinite points at which an Einstein Ring can occur based on the location of the observer. What we do know is that between each Einstein Ring is an entire picture of the sky. This is due to the bending of the light.
There is a particular Einstein Ring called the “Self” Einstein Ring. This ring is directly at the event horizon. If an observer were to look across the event horizon, that observer would be able to see the back of their head. This is because the gravity is so strong at the event horizon that the light energy would bend completely around the black hole.
There are other types of black holes that are thought to be at the center of each galaxy. A Supermassive black hole in the Milky Way Galaxy is thought to be 4.3 million times the mass of our sun. Recent observing techniques have improved the measuring of black holes and the M87 black hole is thought to be up to 7 billion solar masses. These enormous black holes are thought to be formed early in the creation of the universe in immense nebula clouds, not from a dying star.
Stephen Hawking also theorized the existence of tiny black holes in the beginning of the universe after the big bang. These black holes didn’t have a mass much larger than an asteroid and were created by the immense pressure of the big bang. These black holes however, most likely disappeared due to what is called Hawking Radiation. These black holes would emit this radiation until no mass was left to emit, killing the black hole.
The Large Hadron Collider once it is fully operational may produce many tiny black holes. These black holes would only last for nanoseconds and only have a mass of a couple photons. This new device may be able to give us a look into the few nanoseconds after the big bang to better understand the existence and destruction of matter.
There is much speculation and new theories as to what is possible if we could harness the power of a black hole. One popular theory is a wormhole. A wormhole is essentially two connected black holes through space. Since space and time break down inside a black hole, these two connected black holes could be on the opposite side of the universe, yet be connected at the same time. It is theoretically possible (if we could withstand the gravity) to travel into a wormhole and out the other side almost instantaneously. It is also believed that wormholes can unlock the key to time travel.
A new emerging theory is the existence of what is called white holes. White holes are polar opposites of black holes. A white hole ejects matter from its singularity. It is the time reversal of a black hole. This would mean that a white hole and a black hole are the same thing at different points in time, at the same time. This theory also suggests that when a black hole is formed, a new dimension is created and a big bang happens in that dimension. All the matter sucked into a black hole in our universe, in this dimension is ejected through a white hole in a new dimension, creating a new universe.
I have discussed how a black hole may form from a large dying star, the properties of a black hole and individual characteristics of the singularity and photon sphere. I have described how a black hole may look to us from Earth and what it may look like if we were to travel there ourselves. The optical anomalies surrounding a black hole help us detect its existence even though its existence cannot be proven. The appearance of multiple stars and Einstein Rings lead to conclusions of very strong gravitational fields of a neutron star or black hole. The work of Stephen Hawking on Hawking radiation and the speculation and new theories surrounding black holes will be sure to intrigue generations to come. Black holes are fascinating objects in science and many more things than what I have presented can be learned about them.
Bibliography
"Accretion disk." The Worlds of David Darling. Web. 15 Aug. 2009. http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/A/accretiond.html
"Anatomy of A Black Hole." NCSA Web archive bounce page. Web. 15 Aug. 2009. http://archive.ncsa.illinois.edu/Cyberia/NumRel/BlackHoleAnat.html
"Black hole (astronomy) -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia." Encyclopedia - Britannica Online Encyclopedia. Web. 15 Aug. 2009. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/67925/black-hole
"Black Hole Encyclopedia." Black Hole Encyclopedia. Web. 15 Aug. 2009. http://blackholes.stardate.org/
"Black Hole (Rs)." Sixty Symbols - Physics and Astronomy videos. Web. 15 Aug. 2009. http://www.sixtysymbols.com
"HubbleSite: Black Holes: Gravity's Relentless Pull." HubbleSite -- Out of the ordinary...out of this world. Web. 15 Aug. 2009. http://hubblesite.org/explore_astronomy/black_holes/home.html
"Virtual Trips to Black Holes and Neutron Stars Page." Astronomy Picture of the Day. Web. 15 Aug. 2009. http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/rjn_bht.html
Friday, August 7, 2009
Up Yours Apple!
Up Yours Apple!
Google has moved its Google Voice application directly to the web so iPhone users can still use the "app store" rejected application. Is Apple going to start blocking websites now?
Google has moved its Google Voice application directly to the web so iPhone users can still use the "app store" rejected application. Is Apple going to start blocking websites now?
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Kevin Mitnick gets booted from his webhosting
I thought this was funny. The notorious hacker turned security expert Kevin Mitnick is being targeted so much by hackers that his webhosting for his company has been rejected. Thankfully another company picked him up. read more here
Monday, July 27, 2009
Is the iPhone a threat to the BlackBerry?
Apple’s newest iPhone is said to be ready to take on the business world. We’ll take a look into just how ready the iPhone really is to break into this exclusive market ruled by the BlackBerry.
The iPhone caught on very quickly as a consumer grade all-in-one device that redefined how people defined mobile phones. It was only a matter of time before the business world recognized the value in the features available through the iPhone. Other manufactures, including BlackBerry, have released products to emulate the iPhone. Some of these products aren't too shabby, but most fall short of delivering the iPhone experience.
New features of the iPhone 3Gs make the device friendlier to the business environment such as the ability to sync with Exchange servers, the inclusion of a Cisco IPSec VPN client and the support for SSL/TLS. Other features Apple is pushing is the ability to remote wipe the device from Exchange, the built in encryption and the ability to apply policy’s to administer the iPhone.
Despite these additions to the iPhone, some business owners are still wary of switching to a device that has been labeled as a consumer grade device. Apple’s “App Store” is a large part of this. Even though the apps available for purchase or download need to be approved by Apple, they can still have security holes in them and many of the apps available aren’t business oriented which may lead to distraction instead of production.
There is one major flaw of the iPhone that has recently come to light. The iPhone itself is easily hacked and the encryption broken in less than 2 minutes when in the hands of a knowledgeable hacker with easily downloadable freeware. This of course requires physical access to the device. This flaw alone is enough for many companies to remove the iPhone from consideration.
With the capabilities of the device and the ease of creating proprietary applications for the device, the iPhone has turned out to be a fairly good competitor in the business market. But to answer my initial question, is the iPhone a threat to BlackBerry? Not at this stage of the game. The iPhone is a great device and may get some market share from small business owners who don’t have email servers or aren’t worried about the information stored on the device.
The device is right at the cusp of being a great business grade device that offers much more than BlackBerry. But it still needs some work. The hardware itself is quite capable, but the onboard security is going to cost iPhone the Enterprise market share where there is no compromise in data security. But upcoming OS releases of the iPhone will fix these errors and oversights. The iPhone is going to become a force that BlackBerry will have to deal with.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Windows 7 Review
Is Windows 7 Microsoft’s next try at a failed Vista operating system or can we finally upgrade from XP with confidence? When I first installed Windows 7, I was expecting an experience very similar to Windows Vista. I was pleasantly surprised when I installed 7 on a single core 2Ghz Sempron with 2GB RAM laptop, it ran much better than I expected.
Upon installation of Windows 7, I noticed that the OS booted in a respectable time and the USB support was quick to install devices that would normally take Vista and XP several seconds to install. Doing my typical performance check after an initial install, I also found that Microsoft’s new OS had very few services running with respect to its previous operating systems. The CPU usage on my mediocre machine was at a staggeringly low 15%, compared to Vista’s 75% on a similar machine.
The way Windows 7 looks is very similar to Windows Vista with the exception of a few changes. Microsoft has changed the taskbar and the way windows are grouped. This is a feature that may take a little getting used to, but I have found it to be useful. Other features of Vista are the same in 7 such as the window preview when the mouse hovers over the taskbar. Microsoft’s new interface seems to have been sped up and is more responsive on lesser systems. That’s not to say that I didn’t experience any bugs with my Release Candidate version of Windows 7. But the bugs I did experience were either a bit of a nuisance, such as logging in locally while joined to a domain, or they were problems that are already being addressed with the retail version of the OS.
Microsoft’s UAC (User Account Control) is still in place and gives you popups to ask for permission to run processes. But Microsoft has made it much easier to customize the UAC or disable it completely. The system tray is also much more customizable. Options are available to hide or show icons of your choosing and change the alert level of each icon, making the system tray a much better tool.
In the past, Microsoft labeled machines that were “capable” of running Windows Vista. These machines, I would say, did a very poor job of being able to run Vista. Those same machines are going to be able to run Windows 7 and the Aero interface with little trouble. I would be hard pressed to find a machine that won’t run Windows 7 aside from the least expensive Netbooks.
Windows 7 isn’t compelling me to run out update my PC. There are no breakthrough features that are going to change computing as we know it, but it’s an improvement. Windows 7 is an OS to keep up with the times. We need to accept that Windows XP will eventually go the way of Windows 3.1 and Windows 95. Windows 7 is the OS that Vista wanted to be. It will fill the XP void and lead us into the next generation of Windows Operating Systems.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Mac & Windows War
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