Not for the faint of art. |
Complex Numbers A complex number is expressed in the standard form a + bi, where a and b are real numbers and i is defined by i^2 = -1 (that is, i is the square root of -1). For example, 3 + 2i is a complex number. The bi term is often referred to as an imaginary number (though this may be misleading, as it is no more "imaginary" than the symbolic abstractions we know as the "real" numbers). Thus, every complex number has a real part, a, and an imaginary part, bi. Complex numbers are often represented on a graph known as the "complex plane," where the horizontal axis represents the infinity of real numbers, and the vertical axis represents the infinity of imaginary numbers. Thus, each complex number has a unique representation on the complex plane: some closer to real; others, more imaginary. If a = b, the number is equal parts real and imaginary. Very simple transformations applied to numbers in the complex plane can lead to fractal structures of enormous intricacy and astonishing beauty. |
Not a lot to add to this one, just some interesting science. Bugs across globe are evolving to eat plastic, study finds Surprising discovery shows scale of plastic pollution and reveals enzymes that could boost recycling Because I did an entry about the Pacific Garbage Patch a few days ago ("Garbage Patch Kids" ), this article (which I only found after doing that entry) caught my eye. Microbes in oceans and soils across the globe are evolving to eat plastic, according to a study. Just for the record, that's an excellent lede. Concise, accurate (as opposed to the "bugs" in the headline), and gets right to the point. Of course there's more, which is why there's an article, but I do appreciate a good lede. The study is the first large-scale global assessment of the plastic-degrading potential of bacteria and found that one in four of the organisms analysed carried a suitable enzyme. The researchers found that the number and type of enzymes they discovered matched the amount and type of plastic pollution in different locations. This should not be too shocking. It's in line with how we know evolution works. If one "bug" has the enzyme and another doesn't, then the second bug, after ingesting plastic, has a higher chance of dying, so the first bug has a higher chance of reproductive success. The truly amazing thing is that these microbes had the potential to create the appropriate enzyme in the first place. That's what's unexpected from my point of view. These plastics aren't generally from non-manufactured sources. Reducing the amount of plastic used is vital, as is the proper collection and treatment of waste. Not if we have mutant microbes to eat it! We're saved! Use ALL the plastic! The new research provides many new enzymes to be investigated and adapted for industrial use. In other words, the really useful thing here is being able to replicate these enzymes, not that we can unleash hordes of plastic-eating archaea. Importantly, the researchers ruled out potential false positives by comparing the enzymes initially identified with enzymes from the human gut, which is not known to have any plastic-degrading enzymes. ...yet. Another mutant enzyme was created in 2020 by the company Carbios that breaks down plastic bottles for recycling in hours. Don't these people read science fiction? Sheesh. |