Supermassive Black Holes in Color and the World's Oldest Printed Book
Aug 31, 2024
Discover groundbreaking advancements in the imaging of supermassive black holes, as scientists introduce color vision to unveil stunning details of these cosmic giants. The new technique promises a 50% increase in image clarity, enhancing our understanding of Einstein's theories. Shift gears as the conversation dives into the Diamond Sutra, the world’s oldest dated printed book, which showcases 9th-century China's revolutionary woodblock printing technology and its pivotal role in spreading literacy and ideas across East Asia.
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insights INSIGHT
Black Hole Imaging Breakthrough
The Event Horizon Telescope uses a new radio frequency to create sharper images of black holes.
This "color vision" helps differentiate Einstein's gravity from other phenomena.
insights INSIGHT
The Diamond Sutra
The Diamond Sutra, printed in 868 CE, is the oldest dated printed book.
Discovered in the Mogao Caves, it predates the Gutenberg Bible by six centuries.
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This book provides a new translation and commentary on the Diamond Sutra, one of the sublime wisdom teachings of Mahayana Buddhism. Mu Soeng integrates this ancient wisdom with current scientific and psychological thought, tracing connections between these teachings and contemporary theories of quantum reality. He explores the sutra within the framework of Buddhist meditation practices and provides a comprehensive historical survey of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition. The commentary aims to make the inspiration and wisdom of the Diamond Sutra accessible and engaging for modern readers.
In this episode of "Discover Daily" by Perplexity, we explore a big advancement in black hole imaging and delve into the history of the world's oldest dated printed book.
The Event Horizon Telescope collaboration has achieved a remarkable feat by introducing "color vision" to their observations of supermassive black holes. By incorporating a new radio frequency of 345 GHz alongside the existing 230 GHz, scientists can now produce sharper, more detailed images, offering unprecedented clarity in visualizing these cosmic giants. This dual-frequency approach is expected to increase image detail by an impressive 50%, allowing researchers to better differentiate between the effects of Einstein's gravity and other phenomena near black holes.
We then journey back in time to explore the Diamond Sutra, a Buddhist text printed in 868 CE that holds the distinction of being the world's oldest known dated printed book. Discovered in 1900 in China's Mogao Caves, this 16-foot-long scroll predates the Gutenberg Bible by nearly six centuries. Created using woodblock printing, the Diamond Sutra represents a pivotal moment in the history of information dissemination, showcasing the advanced state of printing technology in 9th century China. Its colophon, which precisely dates its production, provides crucial evidence for understanding the timeline of printing technology development.
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