Welcome to my PNN page

Greetings-

I do not yet know what I'll be writing about on my PNN page, but for now, while I decide, I'll write about something random for use as a palceholder. So, the topic I will cover for the time being shall be the most random one I can think of... quantum mechanics.

Whereas Einstein's studies on relativity describe the behavior of vast, massive objects, such as planets and starts, on a universal scale of astronomical proportions, the study of quantum mechanics describes the behavior of atomic particles on an astronomically small scale of subatomic proportions.

I do not know very much about the technicalities of quantum mechanics; I am not familiar with the specific, and horridly complicated (because believe me, I've taken a glance at them) mathematical formulas that go into making actual predictions. But I do know this one thing about it: it is random. Basically, the entire concept of quantum mechanics asserts that it is impossible to locate or predict the precise location of a particle within an atom; you can only predict the probability of it being in a given place at a given time.

The modern model of an atom is based on this theory. The "Electron Cloud" model, as it's called, portrays the nucleus of the atom (containing protons and neutrons) surrounded not by little models of electrons, but by a transparant cloud that is darker in certain areas and generally becomes gradually lighter as it strays farther from the nucleus. This cloud represents the locations at which electrons might occur; the darker the area, the more likely it is to have an electron in it at a given moment.

Using quantum mechanics, physicists can predict the approximate location and velocity of a particle. However, the accuracy with which they can predict these two attributes are inversely related. The more precisely you pinpoint the location of something, the less accurately you can predict the rate at which it is moving. And the more accurately you predict the speed, the more vague your prediction of its location will be. I like cats, which is the reason for the presence of a picture of one on the right, if you were wondering...

Journalism Excercise - HD DVD vs. Blu-ray

As a practice excercise for researching an issue and writing an article about it (a.k.a. journalism), I will be writing about the recent format war that occured between Toshiba's HD DVD optical discs and Sony's Blue-ray discs, which were competing for dominance in the market of high-definition video storage. It will (obviously) be independent (and unprofessional) journalism, as that is what PNN is all about.

Format wars are costly. They're costly to the consumers, because they can create confusion and raise prices. They are also costly to both competing parties, as the comsumers, fearful of investing in the losing side, will often refrain from buying either. So it's no wonder, then, why the DVD Forum and the Blu-ray Disc Association had initially made attempts to compromise and avoid a battle. This, of course, failed miserably when Blu-ray refused to alter its technology to work with Toshiba's and Microsoft's.

The first HD DVD discs were released on April 18, 2008, followed by the first Blue-ray discs on June 20, 2008. Several factors contributed to Blue-ray eventually pwning HD DVD. Originally, each side had the support of 3/6 of the largest six major film studios (Sony, News Corp, The Walt Disney Company, Time Warner, Viacom, and General Electric). Of course, alliances with studios and distributors shifted drastically over time. At the beginning, many of them supported both sides, but eventually they all switched to Blu-ray. Blu-ray discs have more storage capacity than HD DVD discs (HD DVD discs have 15 gigabytes on a single layer, 30 on a double; Blu-ray discs have 25 gigs on a single and 50 on a double).

Another factor that contributed to Blu-ray's victory was Sony's Play Station 3 gaming console, which used Blu-ray disc players. As a result, 10 million Blu-ray players were sold by the end of the format war, versus 1 million HD DVD players. However, because of Sony's decision to incorporate Blu-ray technology into the PS3, it actually suffered a loss of $200 for every PS3 console sold, rather than a profit (despite the console's expensive price). However, this did cause Blu-ray to win the format war.

The final blow dealt to HD DVD before its abdication was Wal-Mart's decision to start exclusively selling Blu-ray disks, effectively leaving HD DVD out to dry. This caused the New York Times to publish an article mourning the death of the HD DVD format. Three days later, on February 19, 2008, Toshiba announced that it would cease to manufacture any more HD DVD discs and players.

The battle was over. Blu-ray had won.