Physics with the Kids at 120 Frames a Second

SteelyKid dropping a slinky.

I got a new camera for Christmas, not because there’s anything wrong with my DSLR, but because I wanted something that could do high-speed video. So I now have a Casio point-and-shoot camera that will record up to 1000 frames per second, woo-hoo! To break it in, I got the kids to help out by… Continue reading Physics with the Kids at 120 Frames a Second

How to Think Like a Scientist in an Elevator

A couple of months back, TED put out a call for auditions for a chance to speak at one of their events. They asked for a one-minute video, and I said “What the hell, I can do that. I need an ‘elevator pitch’ version of the book-in-progress anyway.” This is the result: So, if you’ve… Continue reading How to Think Like a Scientist in an Elevator

Weekend Family Blogging

I had hoped to get the next Ten Years Before the Blog post queued up for today, but what with one thing and another, that didn’t happen. It probably won’t happen before Monday, either, as the weekend will be full of family-type activities– taking SteelyKid to soccer this morning, and her summer camp orientation tomorrow,… Continue reading Weekend Family Blogging

Looking for the Bacon Boson

I’m grading exam papers at the dining room table when Emmy trots in. “Hey, dude,” she says. “Where do we keep the superconducting wire?” I’m not really paying attention, so I start to answer before I understand the question. “Hmm? Wire is in the basement, next to the–wait, what?” “The superconducting wire. Where do we… Continue reading Looking for the Bacon Boson