Cosmic Explosions
The vastness of space can boggle the mind, but when it comes down to it, the same forces that determine what happens when you drop an apple in the lunch line also determine how galaxies form and [...]
Net Force and the Acceleration of Spacecraft
Space is big. (duh). So big that getting anywhere close to even our solar system's nearest neighbors seems impossible. But what if we told you that you that researchers have a plan to make [...]
The Momentum of Swimming Dolphins
How do you design a robot that can swim efficiently under water? Scientists are studying the physics behind dolphin movement for the answer! (And if you're wondering why scientists are [...]
Exploring Position and Momentum in the Quantum World
Quantum physics is behind advances in digital cameras and cell phones, so it must also be able to explain the basics, right? Wrong. It turns out that classical physics doesn’t always work in the [...]
Kinematics, Impulse, and Human Running
What separates the gold medal sprinters from the casual weekend jogger...besides the intense training, of course? Thanks to a careful analysis of human runners and good old-fashioned physics, we [...]
Convergent Evolution in Animal Locomotion
Fins, wings, and...fractions? Find out how simple measurements revealed a striking convergence among animals as varied as whales, birds, and sea butterflies. (Wondering what a sea butterfly is? [...]
Acceleration Isn’t Only Speeding Up
Sometimes you need to slow things down to figure out what’s going on. At a molecular level, slowing things down requires some pretty specialized equipment: lasers.
Mechanical Waves: Applications in Medicine
Researchers are making waves in an unlikely place: the human body. The reason? To detect and diagnose diseases.
