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Monday, December 8, 2008

Thinking in Equations

If you talk to any movie director, you'll find out that they can't watch a movie without thinking about all of the components of it. Some even go so far as to say they can no longer enjoy watching movies. Similarly, if you talk to any physicist, you'll discover that we're far from normal as well. We see equations every where we go. But unlike directors, we still enjoy it! Specifically, I'm going to talk about our experience with winter. I live in Michigan and we got 10+ inches of snow over the past week or so. This means that we're constantly driving in snow covered roads and low visibility. I was talking with a fellow physics major on Friday and we talked about our common experiences with driving: we both consider the coefficient of friction almost immediately! As soon as our car starts rolling, we think to ourselves, "Hmmm... I wonder what the coefficient of friction is on this road." After testing it out for a while we make an educated guess and base the rest of our drive on that. For example, if we come to a curve in the road, our little nerd minds start running equations about the velocity at which we can handle the turn and adjust our speed appropriately. This is not just an experience we have during winter though. For a true physics nerd, it's everyday, rain or shine.... or even snow.

To learn more about friction and the coefficient of friction, here is a simple overview I found online:
http://calcul.com/ian/thesis/node21.html#SECTION00621000000000000000.

Friday, October 31, 2008

Halloween - Get Your Geek On!

This Halloween, I decided to tap into my nerd potential and come up with some great physics costumes! I'm taking it easy this year and doing an easy one because I didn't have a lot of extra time to construct an intricate costume. I'm going in a "Quantum Costume." Basically, according to quantum theory, particles act as waves and particles. When a particle is observed the wave function collapses and it behaves differently than before. So, when unobserved, my costume is Einstein, but when observed, I'm just a normal physics student. Clever, huh?!

Coming Soon:

  • One Shift, Two Shift, Red Shift, Blue Shift (based on Doppler shifts)
  • For Couples: Cooper Pair
  • For Father-Son or Mother-Daughter: The Twins (based on Einstein's twin "paradox")

To learn more about quantum theory:
http://library.thinkquest.org/3487/qp.html

To learn more about Doppler Shifts:
http://www.astro.ucla.edu/~wright/doppler.htm

To learn more about Cooper Pairs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooper_pair

To learn more about the twin "paradox" (and why it's not a paradox):
http://physics123.net/2009/02/the-twin-paradox-explained/

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Physics Can Be Fun!

I've decide to start a blog about how physicists view the world around them. There are far too many misconceptions circling the globe about physics. For one, it can be fun. I am living proof of that. I hope to dispel these negative associations. I plan to use this blog to recount everyday occurrences in which I see physics. Today's topic: Kill Bill Vol. 2. You read it correctly, I said Kill Bill. Specifically the scene with Black Mamba/The Bride/Beatrix Kiddo and Elle Driver in Budd's trailer. If you have not seen the movie, go rent it and watch it. Then you can keep reading. Earlier, Elle Driver kills Budd by hiding a black mamba in a suit case of money she's paying him with. As the scene progresses, the main character (code name Black Mamba) confronts Elle. They exchange words and fight... blah, blah, blah. The important part is at the end: after blinding Elle Driver, Black Mamba doesn't kill her. Instead she walks past the snake Elle used earlier and exits the trailer. That's it...there it is...PHYSICS!!! This is a classic set up for Schrodinger's Cat. The premise for this theoretical experiment is simple. There is a cat. Duh. You place that cat into a sealed box. Here's the twist: there's a vile of poison and a radioactive atom. If the atom decays, the vile breaks and kills the cat. If not, the cat lives. Here's the paradox: you don't know if the cat is dead or alive until you open the box. Whether or not Quentin Tarantino meant to do this is a mystery. Elle = cat, trailer = box, snake = poison. The audience is left wondering, "Does Elle die? Did the snake bite her? Is she still alive?" Beautiful! Pure genius! So there is your example of physics that normal people can enjoy!

If you want to know more about Schrodinger and his paradox, go to: http://www.lassp.cornell.edu/ardlouis/dissipative/Schrcat.html.
It's probably on Wikipedia, too. Maybe it's accurate.