This Tiny Drone Uses Friction to Pull More Than Its Own Weight
New flying robots can pull loads that appear far too heavy for their tiny size. Here's the physics of how they cheat friction with their tiny claws and gecko-like grippers.
How to Keep Lil Trick-or-Treaters Safe on Halloween Night
Glow sticks and retroreflectors can help your kids be seen on Halloween night. Here's how they work.
How to Make Your Commute as Cheap and Fast as Possible
There's more to it than just optimizing gas mileage. Our calculator will help you figure out the most cost-effective driving speed, personalized to your commute, wages, and fuel price.
Science Isn’t About ‘the Truth’—It’s About Building Models
These are the three key things that any person should know about the nature of science.
The Difference Between Weight and Mass, And Why It Matters
If we ever move off-planet, we'll have to get more serious about distinguishing between 'mass' and 'weight.'
How to Get Better at ‘Back of the Envelope’ Calculations
Estimating answers to everyday physics problems is an art form. Here's one tip: learn to ignore what you don't know.
Spider-Man Defies Physics When He Falls Backward Off a Plane
If you care about the momentum principle, this should bother you.
The Insane Physics of Airbags
In a collision, a car's airbag has a tiny fraction of a second in which to inflate—which is why airbags use explosives.
There’s Some Dodgy Physics in Solo: A Star Wars Story
Chewbacca is falling out of a moving train! Han rushes to save him! Turns out, ordinary physics would have saved him, too.
The Physics of Launching a Lunar Lander From the Moon’s Surface
How fast was the acceleration of NASA's lunar lander when it took off from the Moon in the Apollo 17 mission? Using video analysis, we can figure that out.