Thousands of Afghans that were promised U.S. visas remain on the run from the Taliban. The Biden administration, however, quickly cleared red tape for Ukrainians after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Large Hadron Collider physicists discovered three new types of “exotic” particles
Scientists have discovered three “exotic types of particles” in a step closer to unraveling how the universe works, the European nuclear research center CERN said on Tuesday.
Physicists operating the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) found evidence of three new combinations of quarks, elementary particles that form matter. Usually, quarks come together in groups of twos and threes and make up particles such as protons and neutrons.
In rare cases, however, quarks form groups of four and five, the so-called “tetraquarks” and “pentaquarks.” In this particular experiment, a new kind of “pentaquark” and the first-ever pair of “tetraquarks” were detected. The latest development is consistent with the Standard Model, a theory that currently provides the best answer on how the universe is built on a microscopic level.
“We’re witnessing a period of discovery similar to the 1950s, when a ‘particle zoo’ of hadrons started being discovered and ultimately led to the quark model of conventional hadrons in the 1960s. We’re creating ‘particle zoo 2.0,’ said Niels Tuning, physics coordinator working on the Large Hadron Collider beauty experiment. Hadrons are any subatomic particle that consists of quarks.
“Finding new kinds of tetraquarks and pentaquarks and measuring their properties will help theorists develop a unified model of exotic hadrons,” LHCb spokesperson Chris Parkes said, noting that the exact nature of the latter is largely unknown.
The Large Hadron Collider is the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator that has a 27km ring of magnets. It boosts two high-energy particle beams almost to the speed of light before they collide. First launched in 2008, it upended the world of physics in 2012 when it helped to discover the elusive Higgs boson, a development that allowed checking the accuracy of the Standard Model, validating years of scientific research. Higgs boson also allows other particles to build up mass as they pass through its field.
Physicists say they’ve found evidence in data from Europe’s Large Hadron Collider for three never-before-seen combinations of quarks, just as the world’s largest particle-smasher is beginning a new round of high-energy experiments.
LONDON, Jul 06 (IPS) – When Ceylon – now Sri Lanka – gained independence from Britain in 1948 after almost 450 years of colonial rule under three western powers, it was one Asia’s most stable and prosperous democracies.
Activists from the same group have glued themselves to other paintings at U.K. art galleries in recent days, calling on the government to end all new oil and gas licenses.
(Image credit: Kristian Buus/In Pictures via Getty Images)
The man who shot up a 4th of July parade disguised himself in women’s clothing as he escaped, police say
The 21-year-old man who opened fire on a 4th of July parade in Highland Park, Illinois, killing seven and injuring 30 more, managed to escape by disguising himself in women’s clothing, police have revealed.
“[Suspect Robert ‘Bobby’] Crimo was dressed in women’s clothing and investigators do believe he did this to conceal his facial tattoos and his identity,” Lake County Major Crime Task Force spokesman Christopher Covelli told reporters on Tuesday.
Crimo allegedly used a ladder to climb onto a roof along the parade route and squeezed off 70 rounds into the crowd marching down the street before discarding the gun atop the building in order to avoid suspicion, according to authorities. His disguise, captured on video camera, may have included a wig, according to Covelli.
The accused gunman, who had apparently spent weeks planning the attack, fled to his mother’s house and took her car, eluding police for several hours before he was apprehended just five miles from the scene of the crime. The car reportedly contained another gun, while his apartment in the neighboring town of Highwood held more firearms, described as “potentially pistols.” The weapons were reportedly legally purchased.
Six of Crimo’s victims died on Monday, with a seventh succumbing to their wounds on Tuesday, according to authorities. No motive for the crime has yet surfaced, though police have reportedly been “in discussions” with Crimo following his arrest.
Described as a “rapper, singer, songwriter, actor, and director” on his IMDB page, Crimo performed under the name Awake the Rapper. Many of his videos, which have since been removed from YouTube, reportedly included violent imagery and references to school shootings, though relatives claim he showed no signs of violence.
Gun control proponents have held up the attack as proof that the US needs stricter gun laws, despite a sweeping package of reforms having just been signed into law by President Joe Biden last month. The new law requires an examination of young gun buyers’ juvenile mental health records, prevents anyone convicted of domestic violence from legally obtaining a firearm for five years, and provides funding for so-called “red flag” laws that allow authorities to confiscate guns from people deemed a threat to themselves or others.
In the wake of a recent spike in mass shootings, some states have gone even further with their restrictions on gun ownership. New York last month passed a law requiring those seeking gun permits to submit their social media accounts for vetting, along with multiple “character references.”
