5 Physics Equations Everyone Should Know
Our physics expert picks his top-five equations, plus a scheme to supply US power needs with a bucket of baseballs. Thanks, Einstein!
Can You Get Rich Using a Raspberry Pi to Mine Cryptocurrency?
The profit margin on crypto mining is all about the physics of computers and energy conversion.
How Does a Movie Projector Show the Color Black?
There’s no such thing as black-colored light. So how can we see Darth Vader on a screen?
Why Can’t You Switch Seats in an Empty Airplane?
Yes, the weight distribution on an aircraft really does affect how well it flies. Our physics guy explains.
The Physics of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Balloons
How do these giant balloons work? What makes them both easier and more complicated than a normal-size balloon?
Why Is It So Tricky to Show the Sun, Earth, and Moon in a Diagram?
In a nutshell, you can get the distances or the sizes right, but not both. Space is hard!
How to Design a Real-Life Hot Wheels Loop
You should absolutely not build this thing. But it’s still fun to think through the physics.
The Physics Trick That Makes These New Super Cars So Insanely Fast
Zero to 60 in 1.4 seconds? By lowering air pressure under the car, automakers can dial the acceleration way up.
Why Hurricane Milton Turned the Sky Purple
The strange, apocalyptic skies during the storm reveal how light behaves in the atmosphere when it’s filled with an unusual amount of water vapor, dust, and debris.
Solar Sails and Comet Tails: How Sunlight Pushes Stuff Around
It seems crazy, but light actually exerts a physical force on objects. It could power a new generation of spacecraft for deep-space missions.