Black Holes in the News

[Recusant]

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0370269321006109 ?

Indeed. That paper is considerably beyond my level of physics. The Universe Today article does mention the hypothesis that dark matter is primordial black holes.

[zorkan]

Dark matter might be passing through your body right now.

https://www.techexplorist.com/small-black-hole-passes-human-body/97115/#google_vignette

Maybe this is what the 2nd Law works off.

[Asmodean]

Neutrinos, higher energy photons and "all sorts" of other-such crap constantly pass through your body.

The less reactive stuff "just" passes through. Photons and the like may bump into things with more vigor and cause some unfortunate consequences.

In any case, dark matter would be far from unique in passing through you in large numbers completely unnoticed.

[zorkan]

Photons and the like may bump into things with more vigor and cause some unfortunate consequences.

Explain.

[Asmodean]

High [enough] energy photons are also called gamma rays.

They can "dislodge" nuclei in the DNA, causing mutations that can cause cancers and such-like.

[zorkan]

Only likely to be a very low risk unless there has been an accident in a nuclear power plant or bomb.

https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/radiation#:~:text=High%2Denergy%20radiation%2C%20such%20as,made%2C%20tested%2C%20or%20used.

https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/esdmd/hhp/risk-of-radiation-carcinogenesis/#:~:text=Increased%20radiation%20exposure%20in%20the,later%20in%20an%20astronaut's%20life.

[Dark Lightning]

Also, Dark Lightning

From the article, a person near one such flash can receive a full lifetime's dose of radiation.

[Asmodean]

Indeed, there is a statistical chance of getting cancer from radiation exposure.

You could get a nasty melanoma from being out in the sun for one hour, but you are highly unlikely to. Or you could be near a nuclear power accident, receiving a high but not lethal dose of rads and, upon recovering from radiation sickness, be just fine - though that too is unlikely.

[zorkan]

I have been treated for skin cancer. Basal and squamous cell carcinoma.
May have been hiding away for years.
Something to do with my blue eyes, apparently.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/melanoma-skin-cancer/causes/#:~:text=Ultraviolet%20(UV)%20light%20is%20the,people%20can%20also%20get%20it.

[Icarus]

I have had many of those things. If discovered early they are removed by a squirt of liquid nitrogen. If developed a bit more, then minor surgery, if left to grow for a long period of time, then more serious surgery. 

The least convenient BCC that I have had was one my eyelid. Hospital, general anasthesia, etc.  The guy who did the surgery was pretty good at it and did not wreck my eyeball.

Bccs and Sccs are manageable and are not likely to kill you. Melanoma, on the other hand, are potential widow makers.

[billy rubin]

ive got eye surgery in the morning to replace a clouded lens with a plastic one. should improve things substantiallt, if it works as well as the other one did.

[Dark Lightning]

^ Good medicine! My eye doctors are making noises about my impending lens replacements.

[billy rubin]

its quite significant for me, as i have to main decent visual acuity to kerp my commercial drivers license. if i fail the vision test, i have no job.

[Dark Lightning]

Right. I think my left eye has the maximum thickness lens, as I can barely make out the letters with it at the DMV, and in fact, I make mistakes. I look at the line I read with my left eye after doing so, and can tell. Changing the lens in that eye would improve my vision both from the clarity and different focal properties. I doubt that I'll get it to 20/20 with the surgery, though.

[billy rubin]

apparently all i have to do is get three consecutive letters correct in the third? row and i pass.