Thursday, April 26, 2018

Teams that can rival the Warriors’ dominance in the playoffs

While the Golden State Warriors’ current 3-0 playoffs record would in previous years be a sure sign of the team’s shoo-in stint in the NBA Finals, it’s not the case in 2018. More than anything, many NBA experts just see this as proof that the Warriors got lucky in matching up with the Spurs in the first round. Below are the real threats. 

Image source: sportsillustrated.com

New Orleans Pelicans 

This is almost a guaranteed matchup in the second round, as both the Warriors and the Pelicans are now just one game away from sweeping their respective opponents. When they do meet, Golden State will get homecourt advantage, but the team shouldn’t take the Anthony Davis-led team for granted one bit, as it’s poised to upset the third-seeded Blazers who had their own homecourt advantage mocked by the Pelicans. 

Houston Rockets 

The team with the highest win-loss record in the league this year will not only have homecourt advantage if it meets Golden State; the Rockets also has a system that’s very similar to the Warriors plus the season’s likely MVP James Harden leading the charge. Defense will play a crucial role in this matchup, as everyone is expecting threes to rain throughout the series.

Philadelphia 76ers 

You read it right: not the Cavs, but the rising Philly Sixers. If there’s a year that should break Lebron’s streak of finals appearances, it’s 2018. Cleveland has almost no concept of defense and, while inexperienced, Philly might just be able to make it through. It certainly has the superstars in Embiid and rookie Simmons to take the team to the next level. If this matchup happens, the Warriors must contain the Sixers’ towering front line. 

Image source: thebirdwrites.com

Hi! Ryan Jacob here. I’m currently a student at the University of California, Berkeley, and I’m pursuing Chemical Engineering, focusing on Clean Air Engineering (CAE). My major is tough, but I’ve long decided this is the path I want to take. For more on my hobbies and interests, visit this page.

Monday, April 2, 2018

What Makes Semiconductors So Useful?

The electric conductive properties of semiconductors are quite unique.  They share properties of both conductors and insulators, which very few other materials in the world possess at the same time.  Many researchers have come up with explanations to this via the study of quantum states for electrons, more specifically the Pauli exclusion principle.  It is this shared behavior that makes semiconductors one of the most useful materials in modern human history.

Image source: global.kyocera.com

Due to the quantum states of semiconductors, when the electrons are delocalized, electrical conductivity increases.  For semiconductors, electrons are present only part of the time.  This is important to note because always having an electron present prevents other electrons from passing through the material.  This is what comprises the electronic band structure.

Although semiconductors are not as conductive as metals with electricity, they don’t heat up as quickly and can conduct electricity for longer amounts of time.


Image source: sciencenewsjournal.com

The usefulness of semiconductors can be seen in each and every electronic object in the home today.  If opened, people can see circuit boards filled with semiconductors that allow these devices to be powered.  No other material in the world does this as efficiently and effectively as the semiconductor.

Ryan Jacob’s company, Capital Asset Exchange and Trading (CAE), helps sellers make short work of trading semiconductor equipment. Visit this website for more on its equipment marketplace.