physics – Page 2 – Esoteric news

May 9, 2017

Want to Know How Long a Fidget Spinner Spins? Get a Laser and Some Physics

Fidget spinners are everywhere. How long can you make one spin? That depends on the starting speed and the angular acceleration. The post Want to Know How Long a Fidget Spinner Spins? Get a Laser and Some Physics appeared first on WIRED.

May 8, 2017

Brian Greene on How Science Became a Political Prisoner

The author of <em>The Fabric of the Cosmos</em>, and other bestsellers, says America needs rational thinkers to step up and help fix its relationship with facts. The post Brian Greene on How Science Became a Political Prisoner appeared first on WIRED.

May 6, 2017

What Happens When You Mix Thermodynamics and the Quantum World? A Revolution

As physicists extend the 19th-century laws of thermodynamics to the quantum realm, they're rewriting the relationships among energy, entropy and information. The post What Happens When You Mix Thermodynamics and the Quantum World? A Revolution appeared first on WIRED.

May 5, 2017

This Hilarious Video’s Fake. I Can Tell From the Physics

A video making the rounds online shows a strong dog giving an old lady a hard pull. Let's use video analysis to see if it's real. The post This Hilarious Video’s Fake. I Can Tell From the Physics appeared first on WIRED.

April 30, 2017

A Cosmic-Ray Hunter Closes in on Super-Energetic Particles

Angela Olinto's new balloon experiment takes her one step closer to the unknown source of the most energetic particles in the universe. The post A Cosmic-Ray Hunter Closes in on Super-Energetic Particles appeared first on WIRED.

April 27, 2017

Let’s Do the Shocking Physics of Why Power Lines Sag

When a cable is supported by the two ends, it will hang down a bit depending on the tension in the cable. How can you model this cable sag with a computer? The post Let’s Do the Shocking Physics of Why Power Lines Sag appeared first on WIRED.

April 23, 2017

Inside the Hunt for the Source of a Mysterious Cosmic Burst

After a surprise discovery, astrophysicists are racing to understand superenergetic flashes of radio waves that sometimes beep out from distant galaxies. The post Inside the Hunt for the Source of a Mysterious Cosmic Burst appeared first on WIRED.

April 21, 2017

The Wacky Physics of Firing a Ball Out of a Moving Cart

A classic physics experiment features a moving cart firing a ball into the air. What happens if you place the cart on an incline? The post The Wacky Physics of Firing a Ball Out of a Moving Cart appeared first on WIRED.

April 20, 2017

At the Bottom of the Sea, Glass Spheres Prepare to Hunt for Mysterious Neutrinos

Yo-yos, glass orbs, and underwater robots on a physicist's budget. The post At the Bottom of the Sea, Glass Spheres Prepare to Hunt for Mysterious Neutrinos appeared first on WIRED.

April 17, 2017

Let’s Model Radioactive Decay to Show How Carbon Dating Works

You can use Legos, pennies, beans---whatever, really---and a six-sided die to model radioactivity. Why? Because physics is fun. The post Let's Model Radioactive Decay to Show How Carbon Dating Works appeared first on WIRED.