My name is Tim, but you already knew that. Welcome to my publication. I am so glad you’re here.
By joining this publication, you have established that you want more. You are thirsty for knowledge and applicable lessons that can help you accelerate your growth and level you up in life.
Each newsletter will consist of the week’s most important stories. Every story is going to expand your mind, teach you something valuable, add to your curiosity and help you improve your finances, relationships, health and understanding.
Let’s get started!
The Katrin Experiment
Our understanding of the laws of nature is largely based on The Standard Model of particle physics. Developed in the 1960’s, the standard model has answered some of the most complex and intriguing questions about our existence and our place in nature.
But the standard model has some gaping holes in it.
For instance, the standard model can’t explain the existence of dark matter and dark energy. Furthermore, the standard model can’t explain “why we are here.”
After the big bang, matter and anti matter were created in equal amounts. But because they are oppositely charged, matter and antimatter annihilate each other. The standard model shows that the matter and antimatter in the universe “should have” converted right back into energy. But yet, the universe is full of matter.
Why? The standard model is flawed.
Yet the problem with the standard model is how “successful” it has been. The standard model continues to prove valid in experiments over and over again. So we know the standard model is accurate, but we know it is inaccurate. What’s happening here?
These questions ultimately lead us to the grand daddy of all questions. What is the origin of the universe?
The Katrin Experiment is the latest attempt to try and understand these inaccuracies behind the standard model. Let’s get more specific.
The KArlsruhe TRItium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment, which is presently being assembled at Tritium Laboratory Karlsruhe on the KIT Campus North site, will investigate the most important open issue in neutrino physics:
What is the absolute mass scale of neutrinos?
Neutrinos probably are the most fascinating species of elementary particles. The “ghost particle of the Universe” is a key to open issues in science on many scales, linking the microcosm of elementary particles to the largest structures in the Universe.
Neutrinos are the lightest particles in the Universe. Their tiny mass is a clear indication for physics beyond the standard model of elementary particle physics. On the largest scales, neutrinos act as “cosmic architects” and take part in shaping the visible structures in the Universe, as they influence the formation and the distribution of galaxies.
But Why Are Neutrinos So Important?
A neutrino’s mass is a tiny fraction of an electron’s. Why is it so light? That’s mysterious. The standard model initially predicted that neutrinos have no mass at all. But measurements indicate that the particles must have mass, though how much is still a question. Neutrinos barely interact with matter and are incredibly numerous: Billions of neutrinos sail through your thumbnail each second. These particles are so quirky that scientists want to know more.
Ultimately, this experiment (and other’s like it) will bring us a few steps closer to understanding the grand unification theory, which brings us back to the plank era (or the first fraction of a second after the big bang) when all four fundamental forces combined together as one unified force.
If we can figure that out, we can figure out an accurate model of the universe.
Truly incredible.
P.S. – Here’s a video I watch sometimes when I need perspective.
Iceland Is Revolutionizing the Digital Economy
I’m sure you heard of Bitcoin. You know, that “funny money” that made a bunch of millennials rich and that no one really understands?
Truthfully, Bitcoin (and all other crypto currency) is not that complex of an idea. It’s just like paper money, except digital. It’s a new kind of currency.
Here is an amazing guide that explains everything you need to know to understand how crypto currency works and how it is different from traditional paper money and coins.
One of the industries to spawn from the digital currency revolution is cypto mining. Essentially, companies set up huge server rigs that “mine” as much crypto currency as possible as a measure to trade that currency and make profits off of currency exchange rates.
This is where Iceland comes in.
Iceland has become one of the leaders in crypto mining due to its naturally cold climate, as well as the abundance of cost-efficient renewable energy sources – mainly geothermal and hydroelectric. The country is home to one of the world’s 5 largest crypto mining farms, whose operator Genesis Mining is reportedly the single largest consumer of electricity in Iceland.
But the times are a changing.
The crypto craze is over… for now. But the silent hero behind cypto is blockchain. Blockchain technology is revolutionary. Now, Iceland is leading the charge and leading the wave of the future economic booms.
“We strongly believe that when the whole bitcoin thing has settled down to some kind of a level that is not as crazy as it was a year ago,” he adds. “We believe there’s another wave that crops up that will utilize these infrastructures that have been built up during the bitcoin mining phase.” – said Halldór Jörgensson, chairman of Borealis Data Center
The global blockchain market is set to reach a value of $2.3bn by 2021 according to Statista, an analyst. Iceland, a windswept island on the edge of the Arctic Circle, is crammed full of wonders like glaciers, black-sanded beaches and waterfalls. For its crypto entrepreneurs, their nation has discovered a 21st century mineral wealth like no other.
Antibiotic Overload
Antiobiotics are life saving drugs.
One could argue that antibiotics have been the single most important factor is the increased life span of the average human.
Prior to the beginning of the 20th Century, infectious diseases accounted for high morbidity and mortality worldwide. The average life expectancy at birth was 47 years (46 and 48 years for men and women respectively) even in the industrialized world. Infectious diseases such as smallpox, cholera, diphtheria, pneumonia, typhoid fever, plaque, tuberculosis, typhus, syphilis, etc. were rampant
The discovery of penicillin was the start of the antibiotic revolution. In 1928, Sir Alexander Fleming, who had been experimenting with mold and its antagonistic relationship with bacteria, was the first discover how Penicillium mold could kill bacteria. It was a ground breaking discovery for all of human kind.
But there is a darker side to antibiotics.
Bacteria is a life form, and like all lifeforms, it evolves and adapts to it’s surroundings. Bacteria is extremely adaptable and many bacteria strains have been becoming resistant to more and more types of antibiotics.
Just this weekend, a case was reported that left 100 people sick from an antibiotic resistant strain.
“This is shocking,” said Lance Price, head of George Washington University’s Antibiotic Resistance Action Center. “This is an important study that’s shining a light on something that we need to spend more time on.”
More than half of the puppies in a sample of roughly 150 dogs studied as part of the outbreak investigation were given antibiotics not because they were sick, but to keep them from becoming so, according to a new study published Thursday. The technique, called prophylaxis, has been widely used in food animal production and is blamed for fueling antibiotic resistance.
The bacteria was traced back to a pet store in which almost all of the puppies were given antibiotics, even though they were completely healthy. This antibiotic resistant strain mutated in these puppies who have not developed the proper immune system to find off bacteria normally.
We Have Seen This Coming
In fact, Sir. Richard Fleming even warned about the potential overuse of antibiotics.
As early as 1945, Sir Alexander Fleming raised the alarm regarding antibiotic overuse when he warned that the “public will demand the drug and … then will begin an era … of abuses.”
So where does this leave us? What do we do about the antibiotic resistance problem?
This first thing we need to do is come to grips with the seriousness of the problem. In just 50 years, we have discovered a super bug that is resistant to every antibiotic that has ever been created. We need to come to grips with what super bugs could mean for our future as a species and our culture.
But mostly, we need to understand and cope with being sick.
Part of what makes humans good at surviving is our natural avoidance of pain. Our brains are excellent at guiding us away from harm. But it is this same mechanism in the brain that subsequently contributes to the obesity rates, the drug epidemic and the antibiotic resistance. We are “hard wired” for pain avoidance, so we naturally gravitate towards behavior which feels good.
So how do we convince a society of mother and fathers that letting your child “be sick” is more beneficial for the long term health of the child and for society at whole?
How do we change the culture to say no to antibiotics every time we get a head cold or a sinus infection?
Photo of the Week
This is a photo taken in 1995 of a Grateful Dead show. I’m truly taken back by the lack of cell phones in the air. This was only 20 years ago. In my 32 years of age, even I remember a time when I could go to shows and wouldn’t have to weave in and out of cell phones abstracting the view.
Find of the Week
If I didn’t know any better, I would say this Killer Whale is simply having a good time. It would be great to see all animals as having their own uniqueness and personality.
Quote of the Week
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”
Final Thought
This is my first ever publication of the Tim Stodz digest. I only have a handful of subscribers, but having a “membership” platform has truly been a dream of mine.
I’ve talked about doing this for years. So what has taken me so long?
Fear.
What is holding you back? What is stopping you from doing the thing that you love to do? Why aren’t you doing it?
Something to think about.
Have a great week.
Do something!
Tim Stoddart
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