Ages and ages ago, I posted the picture that’s the “featured image” above, and asked people to submit physics comments about it. Then I got distracted by a series of shiny things, and never did anything with the handful of responses I got. Because I’m a Terrible Person. Anyway, it’s long overdue, but here are… Continue reading Long Overdue Snow Physics Post
Category: Physics
Uncertain Dots, Episode 5
In which Rhett and I talk about color vision, undergraduate research projects, blog networks, outreach activities, and how thermodynamics is a lie. Things mentioned in the discussion: The Flame Challenge My post about looking at computer monitors with a spectrometer Physics Quest I’m inadvertently doing a bit of product placement here– the T-shirt I’m wearing… Continue reading Uncertain Dots, Episode 5
On Computer Color
This year’s “Flame Challenge” is to explain color in terms an 11-year-old can follow. I have opinions on this subject, a background in AMO physics, and access to scientific equipment, so I’m putting something together. In the course of this, though, it occurred to me to wonder how my different portable computing devices process color.… Continue reading On Computer Color
On the Steering of Sleds
In the previous post about luge, I mentioned that there was one thing that came up when Rhett and I were talking about this, namely why there are differences in times between racers. The toy physics model I set up last time suggests that the difference between riders is only a matter of aerodynamics– two… Continue reading On the Steering of Sleds
The Physics of Crazy Sleds
In the Uncertain Dots hangout the other day, Rhett and I went off on a tangent about the physics of the Olympics, specifically the luge. If you’re not familiar with this, it’s basically psycho sledding: people riding tiny little sleds down a curved track at 80mph. The “featured image” above shows Erin Hamlin of the… Continue reading The Physics of Crazy Sleds
Snow Plow Projectile Physics
We got over a foot of snow yesterday and today, so schools are closed. Except Union is a residential college, so we never close, which means I have to dig my car out all the same. Which I did, clearing a path to the unplowed street, then took Emmy for her morning walk. During which,… Continue reading Snow Plow Projectile Physics
Uncertain Dots, Episode 4
I didn’t advertise it heavily this time, but Rhett and I did another G+ hangout yesterday, and the video is online now: We talked for a while about the wonders and importance of VPython coding (including some “Oh, I should totally do that…” moments), where we get post ideas (including a discussion of luge physics),… Continue reading Uncertain Dots, Episode 4
Follow the Bouncing Ball
Last week, Rhett did a post on animating a bouncing ball in VPython. This was mostly making a point about the distinction between real simulation and animation, along the lines of yesterday’s post on social construction of videogame reality. But, of course, my immediate reaction was, “That’s not how a bouncing ball looks…” This is… Continue reading Follow the Bouncing Ball
The Social Construction of Gravity
One of the more annoying points of contention back in the days of the Sokal hoax and the “Science Wars” was an argument over social construction. This is, loosely speaking, the idea that our understanding of the world is not strictly rational and objective, but is heavily influenced by interactions with other people, and the… Continue reading The Social Construction of Gravity
Work. Finish. Publish.
A couple of days ago, John Scalzi posted a writing advice open thread, asking people to share the best advice they’d gotten on the craft of writing. There’s a lot of good stuff in there, much of it fairly specific to fiction writing– stuff about plotting, the use of synonyms for “said,” how to keep… Continue reading Work. Finish. Publish.