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Esoteric news

Science and reality

Author: Rhett Allain

Posted on November 30, 2018November 30, 2018

What Would It Take to Shoot a Cannonball Into Orbit?

We did the math on a famous thought experiment by Isaac Newton involving a very tall mountain, a wicked fast cannonball, and good old gravity.
Posted on November 29, 2018November 29, 2018

Aquaman Trailer: The Physics of His Leap from the Water

In the new 'Aquaman' trailer, the superhero bounds from the water and lands on a submarine. It's a fantastical leap grounded in serious physics.
Posted on November 27, 2018November 27, 2018

Try Landing InSight on Mars (Without Exploding)

NASA just plopped a lander on the surface of Mars. This simple game lets you see if you can do the same.
Posted on November 22, 2018November 19, 2018

How to Deconstruct a Football Tackle With Physics

Using video of a football collision, you can figure out the velocity and momentum of the players involved.
Posted on November 15, 2018November 15, 2018

*The Expanse* Gets Artificial Gravity Right in This Neat Trick

In a scene from season one, Jim Holden shows exquisite command of high school physics as he maneuvers himself onto a spaceship gangway.
Posted on November 13, 2018November 13, 2018

See How the Buoyancy Force Works in Water or Air

The buoyancy force gives you the boost that helps you float and do cool maneuvers in water. This experiment lets you see it in action.
Posted on November 9, 2018November 9, 2018

Was a Star Wars Escape Pod Really Just a KFC Bucket?

We can use video analysis to test whether an escape pod carrying R2-D2 and C-3PO in the first Star Wars movie was modeled using a KFC bucket, as one theory claims.
Posted on November 8, 2018November 8, 2018

Aristotle Was Wrong—Very Wrong—But People Still Love Him

Centuries-old ideas about force and motion have an intuitive appeal that is enduring but oh-so-incorrect, as these simple experiments show.
Posted on November 6, 2018November 6, 2018

You Can Make Your Own Scale With a Rubber Band and a Ruler

Take some simple measurements, add a dash of algebra, and you basically have a way to measure an unknown mass.
Posted on October 31, 2018October 31, 2018

Just How Fast Is the Parker Solar Probe? Astonishingly Fast

The probe just broke the record to become the fastest human-made object, relative to the sun. Here's what that record really means.

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