
Star Wars VII includes a new weapon, the starkiller. How could you destroy a star? Here are three ideas.
The post Three Ways a Starkiller in the New Star Wars Could Work appeared first on WIRED.

Science and reality

Star Wars VII includes a new weapon, the starkiller. How could you destroy a star? Here are three ideas.
The post Three Ways a Starkiller in the New Star Wars Could Work appeared first on WIRED.

Holly Holm delivered a knockout kick in her match against Ronda Rousey. Here's an estimate of the impact force it carried.
The post Holly Holm Kicked Ronda Rousey With 50 Pounds of Force, Says Science appeared first on WIRED.

If you watch the wing of an airplane during turbulence, you will notice that the wings bend. Why?
The post The Physics of Why Airplane Wings Oscillate in Turbulence appeared first on WIRED.

Another Star Wars trailer brings another physics analysis. Can we estimate the formation of TIE fighters from one image?
The post The Physics of the Star Wars Trailer’s TIE Fighter Formation appeared first on WIRED.

Often people will say that there are three ways of doing science: experiment, theory, and computational. These people are wrong. Here's why.
The post What Computational Physics Is Really About appeared first on WIRED.

We have plenty of nuclear fission reactors, but not a successful fusion reactor. What's the difference?
The post Nuclear Fission Works Fine, But Not Fusion. Here’s Why appeared first on WIRED.

How does a ballistic pendulum give information about a bullet or ball? Here is a derivation of the classic introductory physics problem.
The post Ballistic Pendulums Are as Awesome as They Sound appeared first on WIRED.

Changing the mass and size of the pigskin and you'd have a very different game.
The post The Physics of Building a Better Football appeared first on WIRED.

When humans bring the gridiron to Mars, it'll be football, Jim---but not as we know it.
The post How Would Football Work if You Played It on Mars? appeared first on WIRED.

In a teaser trailer for Star Wars VII, we see a whole bunch of Tie fighters flying overhead. How fast are they moving?
The post How Fast Are the Tie Fighters in That Star Wars Teaser? appeared first on WIRED.