Building laser beam tools

2018 Nobel Prize for physics goes to tools made from light beams – a particle physicist explains [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](. Edition: US 3 October 2018 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair Editor's note The Nobel Prize for physics was awarded yesterday to three scientists – including the first woman to win the prize in 55 years. The scientists were recognized for the invention of optical tweezers and a method for creating powerful lasers. Todd Adams of Florida State University explains how these [tools of light have revolutionized modern life](, providing a window into the microscopic world of bacteria and insights into the origins of the universe. Sexual assault allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, and the #MeToo movement more broadly, have raised questions about taking moral responsibility for actions committed years ago. Arizona State’s Andrew Khoury writes there are reasons to think that our [moral responsibility for transgressions of our past could ease with time]( – but that depends on how profoundly individuals no longer resemble their former selves. Not all donors to charity give money. [Charitable gifts in the form of bitcoin]( or other digital currencies are growing more common. That’s a concern because such gifts can “can take more tax revenue out of government coffers” than the charities get in return, explain law professor Philip Hackney and accounting scholar Brian Mittendorf. Bijal Trivedi Science and Technology Editor Top stories The 2018 Nobel Prize for physics recognized discoveries that can make more powerful lasers. [2018 Nobel Prize for physics goes to tools made from light beams – a particle physicist explains]( Todd Adams, Florida State University The Nobel Prize for physics was awarded to three scientists for the inventions of optical tweezers – in which two laser beams can hold a tiny object – and a method for creating powerful lasers. The #MeToo movement and more recent allegations against Brett Kavanaugh have posed questions about past conduct. AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File [How should we judge people for their past moral failings?]( Andrew Khoury, Arizona State University Whether the sins of our past stay with us forever has become a pertinent question of our time. A philosopher argues we don't need to carry our past burdens – although there are some moral conditions. The value of bitcoin gifts is subject to swift changes. Natali_ Mis/Shutterstock.com [Charities take digital money now – and the risks that go with it]( Philip Hackney, University of Pittsburgh; Brian Mittendorf, The Ohio State University Harvesting gains from digital money by giving some of it away can be better for donors than the nonprofits they support. Environment + Energy - [Why Indonesia’s tsunamis are so deadly]( Anja Scheffers, Southern Cross University A combination of tectonic plates, geography and poor infrastructure make Indonesia vulnerable to deadly tsunamis. - [Fishing forecasts can predict marine creature movements]( Heather Welch, University of California, Santa Cruz; Elliott Lee Hazen, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Stephanie Brodie, University of California, Santa Cruz A new tool called EcoCast helps fishermen in the West Coast figure out where it's best to fish that day. 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