Physics Buzz

Mayans End the World but Egyptians Give Us Data
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
The constellation Perseus and Algol, the Bright Star in the Gorgon's headJohannes Hevelius, Uranographia, 1690 As I think everyone must know by this point, the Mayans seem to have predicted the end of the world on December 21st, 2012.  Its a... more

Kodak's Nuclear "Reactor" Explained
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Correction: This blog post originally stated that Kodak's nuclear device was a nuclear reactor as was widely reported. This can be misleading. The device increased the output of neutrons from a radioactive source, but there was not enough material to ini... more

Can NBA Timeouts Decide Games? Scientists Say No
Monday, May 14, 2012
The NBA playoffs are in full swing, and eight teams have survived the first round of basketball. My home team, the Denver Nuggets, were booted from the playoffs last week after a game seven showdown against the LA Lakers (boo!), prompting faithful Nugget... more

Simulated Skiers Reveal Mountain Traffic Jams
Friday, May 11, 2012
Researchers incorporate physics, psychology and computer science in an effort to reduce congestion on ski slopes.    Millions of skiers and snowboarders escape to the mountains every winter, but some everyday stresses -- like traffic jams... more

Liquid Levitation
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Splash water on a hot skillet, and it will evaporate very quickly. But if you heat it up a little bit more, you'll start to see some new physics: the water droplets will skitter across the surface without evaporating. Upon contact, a protective vapor for... more

I'm a Good Person so I Trust Facts
Wednesday, May 09, 2012
Photo courtesy of Wikipedia NPR is a great way to spend a commute and often they talk about some great, new research.  Sometimes it is unpublished or questionable, but still gets you thinking.  This morning NPR was talking about ... more

What is Science? Philosophy Has Answers (sort of)
Tuesday, May 08, 2012
Homeopathy vs. modern medicine. Astrology vs. Astronomy. Intelligent design vs. evolutionary biology. Debates between scientists and pseudoscience supporters have increasingly infiltrated the public domain. Intelligent design proponents want the theory ... more