Observations 2

Ep. 247: The Ages of Things
This episode focused on how scientists determine the ages of things that are so much older than humans. It turns out that the primary method for doing this is radioisotope dating that is found in the sedimentary layer. The ability of supernovae to create radioactive isotopes allow scientists to determine the timeline of something through calculations of half-lives. Half-lives are the amount of time it takes for an isotope to decay to half of its mass. The amount of mass decreases the greatest at first but eventually slows down to the point that the original parent substance is considered depleted. The exponential decay function mathematically displays this phenomenon. The only viable element to use for things that are really old is carbon. More recent dating can be found through the use of other elements. Carbon-14 has trouble being dated past 60,00 years however. Uranium-235's half life is 80,00 years, which allows for a much larger range of study. Finding out how old the earth was is a process that was determined through looking for older and older rocks beneath the surface. Rocks are found to be millions or billions of years old through the elements of samarium and neodymium. The use of radioactive elements can be used to determine the age of astronomical objects and earth itself.

Ep. 252: Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle
The conversation began with Fraser and Pamela talking about how particles and atoms are not just pieces of matter but waves that interacts with their surroundings. The realization that particles were waves caused a mathematical deilemna and a problem with the understanding of space and time. The production of waves such as tsunamis travel through the ocean and merit the question of where and with what speed. Similarly atoms and particle in space exhibit these same values. Particles such as electrons can be described as many waves interfering and focusing on the position of the electron. The viewing of particles in this way makes momentum impossible to find. The description of particles as waves and vice versa creates problems mathematically. The quantum mechanics of not being able to describe the position or velocity at the same time is the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. This theorem explains how energy and time are mutually exclusive values. Position of a particle is found using devices that examine the deflection of a particle. This type of microscope allows for position to be determined, but for velocity to be determined, this must be invalidated. Position and velocity are exclusively known by the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle.