I’m going to be at a media training session for most of the day. I had hoped to have a long and silly post about physics to schedule today, but, well, that didn’t happen. So here’s a silly poll to pass the time. The name of element number 13, chemical symbol Al, is pronounced with… Continue reading Dorky Poll: How Do You Say That Again?
Category: Physics
Dorky Poll: Usage Question
In reading a bunch about relativity and related subjects as research for the book-in-progress, I have run across a usage question that seems like a good basis for a poll. So: The “Classical” in “Classical Physics” means:online survey Please note that none of these options include quantum mechanics, so you are restricted to only one… Continue reading Dorky Poll: Usage Question
Dance of the Photons by Anton Zeilinger
I hadn’t heard anything about Dance of the Photons: From Einstein to Quantum Teleportation before it turned up in my mailbox, courtesy of some kind publicist at Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, otherwise I would’ve been eagerly anticipating it. Anton Zeilinger is a name to conjure with in quantum optics, having built an impressive career out… Continue reading Dance of the Photons by Anton Zeilinger
Physics Is No Longer Exciting
At least, that’s the obvious conclusion from the Royal Society’s Science Sees Further page. The introduction touts it as “a series of articles on some of the most exciting areas of science today,” but what’s striking to me is that none of the twelve topic listed (Ageing Process, Biological Diversity, Cognition and Computation, Cultural Evolution,… Continue reading Physics Is No Longer Exciting
Definitions and Standards
Somebody asked a question at the Physics Stack Exchange site about the speed of light and the definition of the meter that touches on an issue I think is interesting enough to expand on a little here. The questioner notes that the speed of light is defined to be 299,792,458 m/s and the meter is… Continue reading Definitions and Standards
How to Teach Physics to Your Dog, Black Friday Edition
Today is “Black Friday,” the semi-ironic name given to the day after Thanksgiving when major retailers roll out Incredible! Deals! to draw shoppers in at an ungodly early hour. Personally, I don’t plan to come within a mile of a mall today, but if that’s what floats your boat… Of course, if you’re thinking of… Continue reading How to Teach Physics to Your Dog, Black Friday Edition
Dorky Poll: Gratitude
It’s Thanksgiving here in the US, so blogging will be light to nonexistent. For the sake of those looking for a quick escape from the chaos of a family gathering, or, you know, those poor benighted souls in other countries for whom this is just another Thursday, here’s a thematically appropriate poll about science: What… Continue reading Dorky Poll: Gratitude
Seeing Exoplanets Sideways
Given that I’m currently working on a book about relativity, I’m spending a lot of time idly thinking about various relativistic effects. Many of these won’t end up in the final book, but they’re fun to think about. One thing that occurred to be earlier, while thinking about something else entirely, is the Doppler shift.… Continue reading Seeing Exoplanets Sideways
Hello, California
I keep forgetting to mention this here, but a while back I was contacted by a tv host in California about the Goodnight Moon post. Anyway, I will be appearing via Skype tomorrow morning at 9:20 my time on the Good Day Sacramento program, to talk about bedtime stories, dog physics, and such things. Internet… Continue reading Hello, California
Poll: Significant Figures
I’m grading a big backlog of homeworks today, so I don’t have time to do any really lengthy posts this morning. Thus, a poll question inspired by going through these homeworks: You are doing a physics homework problem. How many significant figures do you report?survey software While the class in question uses some quantum ideas,… Continue reading Poll: Significant Figures