Were papers on quantum foundations banned from the Physical Review series of journals in the latter part of the 20th century? That is a recurring claim by some in the field – made most recently by Sean Carroll in an article in The New York Times about quantum mechanics.
The mathematical physicist Peter Woit has investigated these claims, which seem to focus on policies set down by Sam Goudsmit – who was long-time editor-in-chief of the journal series until 1974.
Did Woit find any evidence for a banning policy? Not really – Woit seems to conclude that Goudsmit was annoyed with having to deal with poor quality theory papers in general.
You can read more in his blog post “Regarding papers about fundamental theories”.
Biologists have discovered a new species of electric eel that can deliver a whopping 860 V, smashing the previous record 650 V. Called Electrophorus voltaic, the fish lives in the Brazilian Shield, which is a highland region of the Amazon basin. The scientists reckon that the eel has evolved the capability to deliver such a high voltage because the water it lives in is a relativity poor conductor of electricity.
Much like his premiership over the past week, a satirical blimp depicting Boris Johnson has been deflating. The problem is the high cost of helium, which meant that the blimp was Earth-bound and inflated with air for a protest in London. Just as well, with a looming helium shortage I can think of better uses for the rare gas.
