Happy 2016 !!!

Dear Readers, 

thank you for all your wonderful support since 2005.  Lots of things have happened since then & I've been less available to my blog unfortunately.  Other changes coming after the New Year, we shall see where the road takes us..... best to all of you. XO

-post by jen ramos

Book review: �Beyond the Galaxy� by Ethan Siegel

Beyond the Galaxy: How Humanity Looked Beyond Our Milky Way and Discovered the Entire Universe
By Ethan Siegel
World Scientific Publishing Co (December 9, 2015)
Ethan Siegel�s book is an introduction to modern cosmology that delivers all the facts without the equations. Like Ethan�s collection �Starts With a Bang,� it is well-explained and accessible for the reader without any prior knowledge

How does a lightsaber work? Here is my best guess.

A lightsaber works by emitting a stream of magnetic monopoles. Magnetic monopoles are heavy particles that source magnetic fields. They are so-far undiscovered but many physicists believe they are real due to theoretical arguments. For string theorist Joe Polchinski, for example, �the existence of magnetic monopoles seems like one of the safest bets that one can make about physics not yet seen.

Book review: �Seven brief lessons on physics� by Carlo Rovelli

Seven Brief Lessons on Physics
By Carlo Rovelli
Allen Lane (September 24, 2015)

Carlo Rovelli�s book is a collection of essays about the fundamental laws of physics as we presently know them, and the road that lies ahead. General Relativity, quantum mechanics, particle physics, cosmology, quantum gravity, the arrow of time, and consciousness, are the topics that he touches upon in this slim,

Have a Happy New Year!

Dear Readers, 

Hoping you all had a lovely Christmas! Have a Happy New year 2016!! Best wishes & thank you for all your support throughout the years.

-by jen ramos

Dear Dr B: Is string theory science?

This question was asked by Scientific American, hovering over an article by Davide Castelvecchi.They should have asked Ethan Siegel. Because a few days ago he strayed from the path of awesome news about the universe to inform his readership that �String Theory is not Science.� Unlike Davide however, Ethan has not yet learned the fine art of not expressing opinions that marks the true science

Is light a wave or a particle?

2015 was the International Year of Light. In May, I came across this video by the Max Planck Society, in which some random people on the street in Munich were asked whether light is a wave or a particle. Most of them answered in German, but here is a rough translation of their replies:
�Uh, physics. It's been a long time. I guess it�s... a particle. � Particle. � Particle. � A particle. � A

Dagne Dover Event

Was such a pleasure to work with talented ladies from Dagne Dover this past weekend! I was at their pop-up shop hand-painting bags for their customers. This was such a fun event & so fun for everyone that popped in. A few people weren't sure at first about a painted handbag, and then when they saw them in person they were convinced to get one! I left with my all-white mini-tote, but my mom snagged it when I showed it to her that evening. I couldn't say no!

Speaking of bags, these bags are some of the nicest work bags I've seen. Before I work with a brand I have to really love the product and know that I would absolutely use it myself. When I first received my bag from Dagne Dover, I was super impressed. The beauty of the bag flowed from the inside-out. The inside has many (well thought out) compartments, even one for your umbrella! But can also be used for shoes & water bottles! The zipper is a gorgeous chunky gold on most of the bags, which I love! A bag with a cheap looking zipper is a huge turn-off, but these do NOT disappoint there!  The tote bags come in a variety of sizes like:

The 15 inch Tote :  the ultimate day-to-night carryall, made with highly functional compartments to keep specific items in place. Stylish and spacious. I own this one in black & can carry my new gold 11" macbook. Made with a canvas material almost identical to the Louis Vuitton bags.

The 13" Tote :  It's made for 7am-10pm lifestyle, with the same clever compartments but a slightly a slimmer shape and fold-down handles for tighter situations.

The Mini-Tote :  This small-bodied model is designed for speedy days-about-town that call for more than a purse but less than a full-size carryall. Fully-equipped with a 10.5� tablet sleeve, pen loops, a water bottle holder, and an array of convenient compartments for wallets, phones, cards and more! Since I don't tend to carry a lot, this is my favorite size!

The Tiny Tote:  For day-to-night dressing, our smallest tote is your smartest choice. This miniature version of our classic style features the same stashable compartments with a stylish size to take you well into the evening. In addition to a separate 3-pocket card case, it includes a secure zip pocket, magnetic-close pocket for a phone or your card case, and pen loops. Detachable cross-body strap frees up your hands!

I highly recommend these bags if you're a working girl, or a busy entrepreneur. These bags are well designed and well thought out....I can't highlight this enough.  They are much prettier in person too!
You can buy yours directly from Dagne Dover.



-post by jen ramos

පන්සීය පනස් ජාතක පොත (pdf)

                                                                         

INSIDE OUT (2015) MOVIE

                                                                           

YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THIS MOVIE FROM BELOW MAGNET LINKS 

 

Inside Out (2015) 720p BrRip x264 - YIFY

Inside Out (2015) 1080p BrRip x264 - YIFY

        
                                                                                

Ask Dr B: Is the multiverse science? Is the multiverse real?

Kay zum Felde asked:

�Is the multiverse science? How can we test it?�
I added �Is the multiverse real� after Google offered it as autocomplete:




Dear Kay,

This is a timely question, one that has been much on my mind in the last years. Some influential theoretical physicists � like Brian Greene, Lenny Susskind, Sean Carroll, and Max Tegmark � argue that the appearance of multiverses in

Gift Guide: Kids Must-Have Books

Christmas is around the corner.  

Have you shopped for your grand kids or your own children yet? On the off-chance that you haven't yet, have you considered gifting them books? I LOVE books & my son loves them too!

Book are one of my fave gifts to give.  They are just TIMELESS & so special.  I remember when I was a little girl...my dad would always buy me all  kinds of books, even if I wasn't old enough to read them. I would be amazed just staring at the pictures on the pages.

Here are some must-have titles for kids books right now.  These are sure to be a hit in any child's life! Happy Holidays!

Celestino Piatti's Animal ABC 

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild

LEO A Ghost Story 

Tough Guys (have feelings too)

Max The Bravo

The Mighty Lalouche

Leonardo The Terrible Monster

Stripes & Spots

Potty 

The Color Monster 

Night Animals 

Wolfie The Bunny

Where The Wild Things Are

The Story Of Ferdinand

The Day The Crayons Quit

Penguin In Peril 

The Very Hungry Caterpillar 

Olivia (saves the circus) 

-post by jen ramos

You're invited

If you're in NYC - please drop by & say hello! Or come by & purchase a great work bag, you can also have me customize it for you! We will be doing brushstroke pieces only at this event! Happy Holidays! 

No, you don�t need general relativity to ride a hoverboard.

Image credit: Technologistlaboratory.

This morning, someone sent me a link to a piece that appeared on WIRED
You Can�t Ride a Hoverboard Without Einstein�s Theory of General Relativity

The hoverboards in question here are the currently fashionable two-wheeled motorized boards that are driven by shifting your weight. I haven�t tried one, but it sure looks like fun.
I would have ignored this

A MUST WATCH

VITAL 5 IS THE SOLUTION

Holiday: Gift Guide for Her

Working moms, girlfriends, soon-to-be wives and so one, this gift guide is for you. Well, actually it's for the men In their lives who are looking for gifts to give ya. So go ahead, and point them in this direction. I gathered 8 must-have gifts this Holiday Season!

 

1. Lancome pro secrets brush set  - because trust me, a gal can always use new brushes. (limited edition & on sale!) $57.60
2. The cutest scarf, with a similar look to the iconic Burberry but for A LOT less! $20. via Nordstrom 
3.  Dagne Dover 15" Work Tote -  a beautiful large canvas tote with the same feel as a LV bag. The  inside is brilliantly designed. The zipper & the pockets for your laptop & many other work items gorgeous & high end, it's ideal for the working woman.
4. Lancome Parisian Holiday Juicy tubes - this is by far my favorite lip gloss. It's gorgeous and is super shiny. Smells good too!  On sale $27.
5. Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium Perfume - An addictive gourmand floral with notes of: Black Coffee � for a shot of adrenaline; White Florals � to instantly seduce; and Vanilla � for sweetness and sensuality. One of my current favorites. I DEF want!
6. Loreal - Brow Stylist Plumper (love this plumper, it really accentuates my brows. I'm addicted to this stuff. It's too bad my local store doesn't carry it!).  Infallible Smokissime - for a perfectly balanced, smokey eye-look.  Extraordinaire By Colour Riche lip gloss 
- a smooth, shiny ip gloss that I recommend as well!
7. The Paris Style Guide Book - Ideal for your upcoming trip to Paris. Lots of cool places and things to see, the perfect guide!  $25.00 
8. Mom Life Is The Best life Tee - What a great reminder for stay-at-home moms.  $62.00



-post by jen ramos

Holiday gift ideas for Moms

I am not posting many GIFT guides this year, but I will do a few. 

For starters, I wanted to put together one for moms. You see, this year, I became a first-time mother....so, I know just how challenging motherhood can be.   Every so often it's nice to receive a little something new ....ya know.........like a gift!   What better place to-go for gifting to mom than Sur La Table ? Below are some of my favorite items over at Sur La Table for moms. 

Heck, or for anyone that loves to entertain or enjoy a nice hot chocolate at home.  Which gift would you buy your mama friend or your own mother?

 

Have a great weekend!!! 

P.S. on another note, I am currently working on a blog re-design, stay tuned! 

-post by jen ramos

Quantum gravity could be observable in the oscillation frequency of heavy quantum states

Observable consequences of quantum gravity were long thought inaccessible by experiment. But we theorists might have underestimated our experimental colleagues. Technology has now advanced so much that macroscopic objects, weighting as much as a billionth of a gram, can be coaxed to behave as quantum objects. A billionth of a gram might not sound much, but it is huge compared to the elementary

Beauty: Holiday Gift Guide

Hope everyone is enjoying this Holiday Season! Monica here from Beauty Parler. If you're like me I tend to wait last minute to buy gifts. But, I seriously need to change that habit as most beauty gifts sell out quick. For any beauty aficionado this is the season to do some serious shopping and I mean for yourself too. Stock up on your favourite makeup products because it's the best time to find deals and kits that aren't normally offered throughout the year.

For example, the Charlotte Tilbury 'The Bombshell' Set is almost a complete full-face set minus a foundation at an exceptional value versus buying the items separately. Items like makeup brushes are another great add to your wish-list. Sigma Brushes (as pictured) are a great gift for a teen or young adult who is looking to start a makeup kit without breaking the bank.

Can't forget those work parties and Secret Santa exchange. Co-workers love hand creams and lipbalms. Kiehl's is my go-to source in that department. Love the Kiehl's #1 Lip Balm, perfect for dry cracked Winter lips. For the lipstick lovers at the office or a great hostess gift, the Clinique 'Days of the Week' Matte lipstick set if a fabulous gift.

Am I the only one that likes to stock up on beauty products this time of year? Do tell. Happy Shopping!

-post by Monica

Kids: Joovy Spoon Walker

My mother has been mentioning the word "walker" ever since our son was born.  I admit, when I heard that word, I went into caution-mode.   I really believed walkers were dangerous & always thought "no one uses those anymore!"   I admit, I was against it.  But after consulting with several moms - it seemed most of them have used either a jumpers or a walkers for their own kids. Everyone had a good experience, but they did tell me to always watch the child & not leave them unattended. Well, mom was right. 

After deciding that I would get a walker - I figured  get something that has clean lines and looks modern and is also functional. Enter Joovy.  A friend of mine (also a mom)  introduced me to Joovy & recommended their Spoon Walker.  I looked it up & it was exactly what I had envisioned if I was EVER going to follow mom's advice about getting one.  So, the people over at Joovy sent one our way & its adorable!! We decided on the Charcoal Spoon Walker  & when we received it here are a few things I noticed:

• It combines two essential products into one (highchair & walker)
• It has a large tray which can be used for eating 
• The design blends perfectly into our home decor (yay!) 
• The tray has a removable insert for easy-cleaning or put in dishwasher
• It's big enough for child to play with their fave toys
• it's a bright high gloss, which cleans easily too.
• It has a wide base for great mobility & stability. 
• The seat pad is supportive & comfortable, machine washable. 
• The wide base ensures that little fingers wont get pinched on the side of the tray if your toddler bumps into a wall.
• It has a soft and padded high seat back.
• It has three height positions.
• It folds flat for easy storage and travel.
• It's entirely BPA, PVC and Phthalate Free

So to be fair, my son is 9 months old & is still getting used to it.  At first he was only moving backwards ha! But recently he finally started moving forward but VERY SLOWLY.  Looking forward to seeing him use it to it's full potential.  I highly recommend the Joovy Spoon Walker for your toddler.



-post by jen ramos
-in partnership with joovy

What Fermilab�s Holometer Experiment teaches us about Quantum Gravity.

The Fermilab Holometer searched for
correlations between two interferometers

Tl;dr: Nothing. It teaches us nothing. It just wasted time and money.
The Holometer experiment at Fermilab just published the results of their search for holographic space-time foam. They didn�t find any evidence for noise that could be indicative of quantum gravity.
The idea of the experiment was to find

Peer Review and its Discontents [slide show]

I have made a slide-show of my Monday talk a the Munin conference and managed to squeeze a one-hour lecture into 23 minutes. Don't expect too much, nothing happens in this video, it's just me mumbling over the slides (no singing either ;)). I was also recorded on Monday, but if you prefer the version with me walking around and talking for 60 minutes you'll have to wait a few days until the

Nespresso 'A Cup Above' Gift Ideas

Everyone knows I love coffee, but I've never received coffee-related gifts for Christmas. Well, then why not just gift my friends some coffee related accessories to enjoy?  My all time favorite is Nespresso.  They offer high quality coffee from the world's finest coffee-producing regions.  It is my to-go place for finding gifts that suit everyone on my Holiday list! 

I love that they offer many of the same accessories they have in their boutiques on their site.  So, if you enjoyed sipping your cappuccino from the VertuoLine Cappuccino Cup at their boutique, you can experience the feeling at home by purchasing the cups from their website!  

This Holiday Season feel free to follow my lead & let your friends 'Experience A Cup Above'.  

What do I mean by that?  Well, Experiencing 'A Cup Above' is more than a gift, it's an invitation into Nespresso's elegant lifestyle.  Here are 7 Nespresso Gift ideas for coffee lovers. 

1. Dark Chocolate Squares with Cocoa Bits  (perfect addition to any cappuccino + chocolate lovers.)

2. VertuoLine Recipe Set  (ideal for serving lattes & latte lovers) 

3. Piano Black VertuoLine Evoluo Machine  (for great tasting freshly brewed coffee & espresso at the touch of a button. Convenient. )

4. Indulgent Pack  (ideal for the first time buyer of a Nespresso machine or for a housewarming gift). 

5. VertuoLine Travel Mug (for the constant traveler who prefers their coffee on-the-go). 

6. Premium Espresso Gold Cups (Impress that stylish friend of yours who loves coffee. Hurry though, limited quantities available!)

7. VertuoLine Cappuccino Cups  (this cup set is for the coffee lover who likes to see their coffee & crema)

On another note, here's a great Coffee Milkshake recipe you can pass on to a friend if you decide to gift the lovely Vertuoline Recipe set . 


Ingredients:

• 1 capsule of Decaffeinato or Vanizio?
• 2 oz of cold milk? (or you can add Soy milk if you're looking for a dairy-free milkshake)
• 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream
• Preparation
• Brew Coffee capsule and allow to cool slightly in a cocktail shaker, add ice cream, cold milk and cooled shot. Stir with a whisk or large table spoon. Continue until ice cream is melted and mixture is uniformly thickened and smooth. Pour into VertuoLine recipe glass
• Enjoy & Happy Holidays! 

Did you know that Nespresso capsules are also recyclable? They are!  You can bring them to the Boutiques and retailer drop-offs for recycling + they have a UPS mailback program, which provides pre-paid recycling bags for consumers to mail back used capsules. Drop those off at one of the 88,000 UPS drop off locations across the country. Nespresso recently expanded its program with UPS from 20 to 48 states



-post by jen ramos
-In partnership with Nespresso

Hawking radiation is not produced at the black hole horizon.

Stephen Hawking�s �Brief History of Time� was one of the first popular science books I read, and I hated it. I hated it because I didn�t understand it. My frustration with this book is a big part of the reason I�m a physicist today � at least I know who to blame.
I don�t hate the book any more � admittedly Hawking did a remarkable job of sparking public interest in the fundamental questions

Fashion: Ramy Brook

Hey Fashion lovers, here's a new shop I wanted to introduce you to called, Ramy Brook. They recently contacted me and introduced me to their collection. I fell in love with it! This company was founded in 2010 by Ramy Brook Sharp.  It's based out of NYC and offers a line of contemporary women's wear.  I love that almost every piece can be worn either day or night.  For example, the amazing Jessica Sweater ...(made from 100% Merino wool) that I'm wearing below.  I've worn it out for a coffee meeting as well as date night - it did not disappoint!  Looks fantastic & sooo soft.  This brand is great & I am now going to be keep an eye-out for all the new stuff they launch! 

I've gathered a few more of my favorites below.  Check them all out here.

-post by jen ramos -
- in partnership with Ramy Brook