It’s the last week of the (calendar) year, which means it’s a good time to recap the previous twelve months worth of scientific news. Typically, publications like Physics World will publish a list of top ten physics stories of 2010, but we’re all Web 2.0 these days, so it seems more appropriate to put this… Continue reading Poll: Top Physics Story of 2010?
Category: Science
Science on the Tree 2010: Pets
Our final science-themed Christmas ornament is this Santa and friend: What does walking a dog have to do with science? If you have to ask that, you’re reading the wrong blog. Dog-walking is essential to science– that’s where we get some of our best ideas! In a broader sense, this one can be said to… Continue reading Science on the Tree 2010: Pets
Science on the Tree 2010: Dinosaurs!
Next up in our series of science-themed Christmas ornaments are these two dinosaurs: Why? Because dinosaurs are awesome. Seriously, do you really need to ask?
Science on the Tree 2010: Squirrels
Next up in our series of science-themed Christmas ornaments is this squirrel: A reminder that you can’t trust those furry little bastards… What do squirrels have to do with science? As Emmy (and any other dog) will tell you, squirrels are representatives of all that is evil and twisted. And, unfortunately, science is just as… Continue reading Science on the Tree 2010: Squirrels
Science on the Tree 2010: Literature
Continuing our series of science-themed Christmas tree ornaments, we have this cute pair of reading bears: “But wait,” you say, “reading isn’t a science!” Ah, but while reading itself may not be a science, science is nothing without the scientific literature. The really essential step in the process of science is the communication of scientific… Continue reading Science on the Tree 2010: Literature
Science on the Tree 2010: Extrasolar Planets
We didn’t do a Christmas tree last year, because we figured SteelyKid wasn’t yet old enough to be safe around it. We put one up this year, though, and she’s been very grown-up and careful around it, so all is well. The return of the Chateau Steelypips Christmas tree means I can also revive a… Continue reading Science on the Tree 2010: Extrasolar Planets
How Does Light Travel Through Glass?
I’ve mentioned before that I’m answering the occasional question over at the Physics Stack Exchange site, a crowd-sourced physics Q&A. When I’m particularly pleased with a question and answer, I’ll be promoting them over here like, well, now. Yesterday, somebody posted this question: Consider a single photon (λ=532 nm) traveling through a plate of perfect… Continue reading How Does Light Travel Through Glass?
…As Long As They Spell Your Name Right
As previously noted, the UK edition of How to Teach Physics to Your Dog is selling very well via the Guardian‘s online bookshop, among other UK venues. It’s doing well enough that I might need to start referring to the original text as the American edition of How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog…… Continue reading …As Long As They Spell Your Name Right
Monday Miscellany
A bunch of smallish items that have been failing to resolve into full-fledged blog posts for a little while now, thrown together here because I don’t have anything better to post this morning: — When is doubt, start with self-promotion: Physics World includes How to Teach Physics to Your Dog in their holiday gift books… Continue reading Monday Miscellany
Spooky Action at High Speed
I’m currently working on a book about relativity, but I still spend a fair amount of time thinking about quantum issues. A lot of this won’t make it into the book, because I can’t assume people will have read How to Teach Physics to Your Dog before reading whatever the relativity book’s title ends up… Continue reading Spooky Action at High Speed