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Attempts to solve this puzzle have led to some way-out ideas. Just a few years ago, a group of physicists from the University of California, Santa Barbara, argued that if information really does escape from black holes, that implies a frightening consequence: Anyone falling into a black hole wouldn’t pass peacefully inside before eventually hitting a singularity, but would rather be incinerated by a high-energy wall of fire. This “firewall paradox” has ignited a new bout of attacks on Stephen’s original puzzle, inspiring speculative ideas about how quantum entanglement might be related to wormholes in space-time.
Stephen himself reveled in speculative ideas. Another of his major contributions was a proposal for the “wave function of the universe,” an attempt to encapsulate the exact quantum state of all of reality in a single, compact expression. Part of this work was the implication that the universe could have a beginning—presumably at the moment we think of as the Big Bang, about 14 billion years ago—without anything outside the universe bringing it into existence. Reality could be self-contained without violating the laws of nature. Stephen wasn’t afraid to leap from this cosmological scenario to the sweeping claim that God was no longer required to account for our existence. Bold proclamations were his stock in trade.
To a younger scientist, Stephen could be intimidating. Back when I picked him up at the airport, I was working as a postdoctoral researcher at the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics in Santa Barbara. His visit happened to coincide with the announcement that astronomers had shown that our universe was not only expanding, but accelerating—perhaps the most surprising cosmological discovery of our time. I happened to be an expert in the area, so I received a summons: Come down to Stephen’s office and explain what is going on. I did the best I could, offering long, rambling answers to his pithy, pointed questions.
His impish sense of humor was legendary. My friend Alex Singer directed the episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation on which Stephen made a cameo. The scene involved the android Data using the holodeck to summon up a poker game with Stephen, Isaac Newton, and Albert Einstein. According to Alex, Stephen made sure that the script had him defeat Newton and Einstein at poker, thereby showing who was really the smartest guy in the room.
But what I will remember is Stephen’s tireless enjoyment in life. At a cosmology conference in England’s Lake District, the organizers had scheduled a tasting of Scotch whiskeys as an evening’s diversion. As the group of physicists chatted and sampled the wares, I turned around to see Stephen in the back of the room, his nurses helping him taste the various single malts, one by one. His body may have been frail, but his enthusiasm for living was unmatched.
Sean Carroll is a research professor in the Department of Physics at the California Institute of Technology. He writes the blog Preposterous Universe and is the author of The Big Picture.
Newt Gingrich continued his discussion about himself on Thursday at a campaign event in Louisiana, saying the only things standing between him and a smooth path to the oval office are the president’s unwillingness to tackle the high price of gas, the media’s inability to properly frame his grand ideas, and Chevrolet’s belligerent insistence on marketing an electric car.
“The thing I find most disheartening about this campaign is that the perfectly flawless message I am running on — a message that my opponents, like my second wife, can’t seem to comprehend — is not getting through to the voters. And for that I can only fault somebody else,” Mr. Gingrich told an audience at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston.
His supporters at the rally, enthusiastic backers of Mr. Gingrich’s so-called war on comprehensibility, waved signs declaring, “Don’t Believe the Liberal Gas Prices!” and “Open the Algae Refuge Preserve to Drilling,” slogans that have become a fixture of Mr. Gingrich’s campaign events recently.
Buoyed by the fervent crowd, an energetic Mr. Gingrich told the gathering he remained confident that in the end he and his brilliance would find a way around the media bias and lack of votes that have hobbled his otherwise faultless campaign, and he would quite possibly become the first man in history to win the presidency without winning the presidential primary.
The former speaker of the House said he was grateful for the show of encouragement from his audience, but he did remind them that he didn’t need theirs or anyone else’s vote to win the Republican nomination or the presidential race.
Mr. Gingrich made no mention about ending his opponents’ campaigns, making only a slight reference to his plan to take his run all the way to the convention in August by “bringing new solutions and using new science and new technology and new management” to solve his delegate count problems.
He pointed out that he has lost all but two contests for delegates in the Republican primary, including in Alabama and Mississippi, where he expected to do well.
“If that is not proof that the elite media and my ex-wives are out to get me, then I don’t know what is,” an invigorated Mr. Gingrich told the crowd in Louisiana.
The struggling candidate did acknowledge that fundraising would be very difficult going forward. He highlighted his 175,000th donor, who had contributed $2.50, a nod to Mr. Gingrich’s promise that under his energy plan the price of gas would drop to that amount per gallon.
The presidential hopeful said he appreciated the gesture, and the show of confidence in his energy plan, but, in an about-face, Mr. Gingrich suggested that it might be worthwhile to give his plan a second look, that maybe the country would be better off if in the near term if the price of fuel skyrocketed to about $10 million a gallon.
As the audience gasped at the thought of eight-figure prices at the gas pump, Mr. Gingrich promised to buy each of them an electric Chevy Volt automobile that they would be able to destroy in a grand, anti-liberal demolition party on the White House front lawn once Mr. Gingrich is elected and lowers the price of gas.
Dwayne Haskins said he has always had a natural throwing ability. He said he has an eye to see open receivers, find them on routes and put the ball in the proper spots, over the defensive back, for easy catches.
The only thing he had to adjust over time was the speed of the players to whom he was throwing.
“I was throwing to lacrosse kids in high school, so now I am throwing to 4.2, 4.3 [40-yard-dash-time] receivers and they are moving,” Haskins said.
In the comfort of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center, Haskins had an opportunity to throw to those 4.3 receivers one last time, reminding those in attendance what the Heisman finalist did with Terry McLaurin, Johnnie Dixon and Parris Campbell this past season and providing a preview of what each could bring to the next level.
Haskins has always seen the ability of each of his three redshirt senior receivers, complimenting their speed, catch radius and jumping ability.
And after the trio accounted for 47.7 percent of Ohio State’s total receiving yards on the season, Haskins continued to show that off, consistently hitting McLaurin and Dixon starting with 10-yard slant routes to 30-yard post routes to 40-yard streaks into the endzone.
Campbell missed the majority of the workout after slipping on a cut.
This is something Ohio State head coach Ryan Day has gotten used to: watching who many consider to be a top 10 pick throwing to three receivers whose draft stock has steadily increased since their final game with the Buckeyes.
It’s a relationship that was not defined immediately. McLaurin, Dixon and Campbell already had developed a rapport with J.T. Barrett, a dual-threat quarterback who utilized his legs in a way Haskins likely never will.
But Haskins only had one requirement for the receivers he threw to: Run every route like it’s a live game, using the speed receivers would use to get open in game action in practice.
With this mentality, Haskins’ relationship with the trio bloomed.
“They got more confidence in me as the season went on, as camp went on that I would be able to put it anywhere on the field, and we had a great time this year,” Haskins said.
To Campbell, that level of comfort created a platform for Haskins to not only be successful but to lead.
Day, a former NFL quarterbacks coach, might have been looking at Haskins, Campbell, Dixon and McLaurin like a scout as they gave their best reps in front of representatives from all 32 teams after the months spent preparing for the draft.
In his first season as the Ohio State head coach, Day was instead looking at lost production, a quarterback and three receivers he won’t be able to utilize next season.
But what Haskins and the receivers did in the passing game will be something the head coach can use to build the program’s future.
Day said he was proud of the way all three receivers put work into the program, saying he was one of many commending Dixon, McLaurin and Campbell on their collegiate career.
It was the last official workout for all four, but the quarterback did what he always did with his receivers.
That was not Haskins’ focus, saying it will probably hit him later. But he said it was a lot of fun, creating one of the best passing offenses in the span of one season.
For one final time, the quarterback huddled up with his receivers. He said it was their last chance to define their future in an Ohio State uniform.
Going out onto the practice field at the WHAC just like the many times the four had before, that’s exactly what they did.
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Francesca Schiavone revealed she took a phonecall from the president of Italy after becoming her country’s first ever female grand slam champion.
Schiavone was handed a mobile phone after producing a stunning display of all-court tennis to beat Samantha Stosur in a thrilling French Open final. And on the other end was head of state Giorgio Napolitano, determined to be among the first to congratulate the 29-year-old from Milan.
Schiavone did her country proud, not just with her result but with the manner of her performance.
The 17th seed, who is the second oldest first-time female grand slam champion, went into this afternoon’s match as the underdog. But she played like a champion to win one of the best women’s finals of recent times 6-4 7-6 (7/2) in one hour and 38 minutes.
As she had done in previous rounds, Schiavone celebrated the moment of triumph by kissing the clay, though this time after falling onto her back in jubilation.
She then went to celebrate with those who had come from Italy to watch her on Philippe Chatrier Court, revealing some of her family and childhood friends had travelled by car for 10 hours to be there.
Despite this being her 39th attempt to win a grand slam, Schiavone insisted she never gave up hope of realising her dream.
Stingray City – doing the Stingray Shuffle - Postcards Home from ….
“Do the sting ray shuffle – please no high heels, roller blades or shoes,” those were Capt. Rob’s instructions onboard the Emerald Eyes, a twin hull catamaran. “Only bare feet for your protection and the ray’s protection,” he insisted.
As soon as we boarded, Capt. Rob started his safety spiel during our 45 minute ride out to Stingray City in Grand Cayman. “I’m giving you a stingray survival briefing so you don’t lose any of your fingers and toes,” he joked.
I spent a day with the rays with Stingray City Snorkel, a popular shore excursion offered on The Disney Magic. My Aunt Helene, who was cruising with me, said Stingray City is one of the Grand Cayman’s highlights and years ago my cousin and uncle frolicked with the rays and loved it.
Capt. Rob explained that fisherman used to go out into the open ocean then return to this sandbar to clean their catch. Rays and other fish became accustomed to being fed and now years later, associate the ship’s engine being turned off with getting fed. With the abundance of all of this free food and being overfed, the rays developed high cholesterol. Now only the crew can feed the playful rays.
For Stingray Anatomy 101, Capt. Rob held up a stuffed stingray toy, Capt. Rob demonstrating the proper way to pet a ray without hurting it. He cautioned us to avoid stroking the ray’s tummy and even pointed out a pregnant ray. He showed us how to stoke the ray gently under the wings comparing the texture of the ray’s skin to a Portobello mushroom.
Since I am a mega-wimp, I stayed onboard and was just an observer rather than a participant. Capt. Rob and the crew climbed down the boat’s ladder into the crystal clear turquoise water and stood on the sandbar with buckets of squid in hand. Within 10 seconds stingrays skimmed by attracted by the squid’s scent. Gracefully gliding, like friendly puppies, they snuggled up to the crew fluttering their 5-foot wing span and hugged them.
Capt. Rob and the crew were able to identify their favorite rays – Snowflake, Penelope, Nitch, Suzie, Rusty. “Darth Vador is now retired,” Capt. Rob sadly announced.
The females are bigger than the males. While these rays are very gentle creatures – we had an unwanted visitor – a 7 foot Alpha-male dolphin who was looking for love in all the wrong places. He was a feisty fellow and became quite a rambunctious nuisance. He tried to pry up the anchor and kept bumping into snorkelers. Perhaps it was mating season as he was extremely aroused and amorous.
“He isn’t Flipper,” Capt. Rob warned, “Stay away from him, he’s a wild animal with sharp teeth and may feel threatened with humans around,” Rob shouted. Most of the snorkelers listened to Capt. Rob’s except for a Chinese guy who approached the dolphin to get close up shots. He was lucky he wasn’t attacked since the dolphin’s behavior could be unpredictable.
An official government boat lurked off in the distance observing and monitoring the tourist boats making sure the rays were protected and the guides were obeying the strict protective laws. It was good to see that the rays were being carefully observed and protected. About half a dozen snorkel boats were anchored nearby enjoying their Stingray City experience. Aunt Helene was right, Stingray City is not to be missed!
About $430,000 worth of work on the South Bay Bike Trail has been completed as part of an effort to maintain the 22-mile-long coastal path, county officials announced Wednesday.
The project, begun in September, included repaving and remarking about four-tenths of a mile of the path between 62nd Avenue and Culver Boulevard in Playa del Rey, according to David Sommers, press deputy for Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe.
Knabe’s office spearheaded the project, which tapped Proposition C Local Return Funds, a half-cent sales tax approved by voters in 1990 to improve public transit and related infrastructure, Sommers said.
Sommers said Knabe was continuing to look for ways to improve the South Bay Bike Trail, which stretches between Will Rogers State Beach and Torrance Beach.
Beach Cities Transit could pick up two fixed routes under a proposal that won tentative approval Tuesday night in Redondo Beach.
The City Council gave staffers the green light to create a funding plan to buy extra vehicles and pursue cost-sharing deals with various South Bay cities. The vote was unanimous.
The lines up for consideration are run by other agencies.
Under the scenario discussed Tuesday, Redondo Beach will run Metro Line 124, which carries riders from El Segundo to the Rosa Parks Station in South Los Angeles. Metro’s South Bay Service Sector representatives last week voted to drop that line.
Additionally, Beach Cities Transit could take over the paratransit service offered to disabled and senior citizens in Hermosa Beach.
The city of Torrance will purchase four traffic message signs in an effort to calm traffic.
The radar-equipped signs not only tell approaching motorists the speed they are driving, but also store the data for up to 500,000 vehicles for later analysis.
The solar-powered signs do not automatically generate traffic tickets for speeding drivers.
The City Council approved the purchase at its Tuesday meeting at a cost of $38,537.
Construction will delay traffic in east El Segundo on and off through April.
The West Basin Municipal Water District will install a 4,000-foot-long, 6-inch-diameter recycled water pipeline in Douglas Street between El Segundo Boulevard and Mariposa Street.
Nighttime construction lasts from 7 p.m. to 5a.m. through March 27. Afterward, daytime work runs 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays until April 30.
Construction will include pothole repairs, trench digging, excavation, pipe installation, backfilling and road resurfacing.
No left turns will be allowed from westbound El Segundo Boulevard to Douglas Street through today from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m.
From Sunday to March 27, motorists can’t turn right from westbound El Segundo Boulevard to Douglas Street between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. Sidewalks will remain open during construction.
For more information, call 877-341-5707 or visit www.westbasin.org.
Redondo Beach officials Tuesday signed off on an ownership transfer for a key King Harbor leasehold.
The 7-acre Redondo Beach Marina – home to Captain Kidd’s, Delzano’s by the Sea and Ruby’s Diner – is being sold by MCC Redondo Beach to JJJ Enterprises, an affiliate of Decron Properties in Los Angeles.
Allan Mackenzie of Mar Ventures, an MCC partner company, planned to oversee a substantial overhaul of the site after the deal closed in 2003.
Mark Wiesenthal, Decron’s general counsel, declined Tuesday to discuss plans for the property until the financial deal is finalized – which he said could happen by the end of the week.
City documents indicate the purchase price is $9.8 million.
Decron is a property management and development firm that oversees 6 million square feet of residential, retail and office space. The company is building a mixed-use project at the former Furama Hotel site on Lincoln Boulevard near Manchester Avenue in Westchester.
Redondo Beach leaders have tacked another year onto City Manager Bill Workman’s contract, which now runs through Jan. 2, 2011.
The City Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to extend the deal.
At his own recommendation, Workman will not see a merit pay increase this year. He circulated a memo to the council requesting his salary stay the same, citing declining city revenues in a weak economy.
Last year, the council boosted Workman’s salary by 6 percent, from $194,904 to $206,598.
He was hired as Redondo’s top administrator in November 2004 at a salary of $170,000.
Giselle Serate, a 10-year-old home-schooled fourth-grader from Rancho Palos Verdes, recently beat out more than 90 contestants in the seventh annual $1,000 National Elementary School Spelling Bee in Long Beach.
She correctly spelled the words pharaoh and surveillance to win the $1,000 prize.
Kuwaiti industrialist Nawaf Alghanim has launched Al-Ghanim Entertainment as a financing-production company based in Los Angeles and Kuwait.
Alghanim is the CEO with partners Andrea Chung, Krystal Tiffany Vayda and Brandon M. Vayda, and is a member of the Al-Ghanim founding family of Kuwait.
Al-Ghanim Entertainment will back two to four films a year with budgets up to $15 million, mostly in the action and horror genres.
The company’s first project is “The Girl in the Photographs” with horror icon Wes Craven executive producing and Craven’s protege Nick Simon (writer of “The Pyramid”) directing. Chung will produce with Thomas Mahoney; Brandon M. Vayda and Krystal Tiffany Vayda will executive produce alongside Craven and Alghanim.
The film is inspired by the “Scream” franchise and set against the backdrop of the fashion world.
Alghanim told Variety that the venture marks the first time for private Kuwaiti investment in film production outside the Kuwaiti goverment. His family owns international conglomerates and has investments in the majority of theaters in Kuwait.
The venture was unveiled Friday, the second day of the Sundance Film Festival. Chung is a producer on Benson Lee’s “Seoul Searching,” a comedy centered on Koreans raised outside Korea, which will make its world premiere Jan. 30 at Sundance.
Alghanim most recently served as a civil engineer for Gulf Consult in Kuwait. He has a master’s degree in civil engineering from California State University at San Jose.