As I keep saying in various posts, I’m teaching a class on timekeeping this term, which has included discussion of really primitive timekeeping devices like sundials, as well as a discussion of the importance of timekeeping for navigation. To give students an idea of how this works, I arranged an experimental demonstration, coordinated with Rhett […]
Category: Video
Simple Video Editing Software?
So, back when How to Teach Physics to Your Dog was coming out, I did a few “dramatic readings” of bits of the book, such as this one on the Quantum Zeno Effect: This was made with Windows Movie Maker, because it was free (came with the computer) and dead simple. However, Movie Maker on […]
Cute Toddler Story
Those of you who follow me on Twitter/ Facebook have been getting the occasional snippet of cute dialogue from SteelyKid over there. This one’s a little too long for breaking into 140-character blocks, so while I wait for her to come downstairs so we can make pancakes, a cute SteelyKid story: We play a surprising […]
MythBusters to the Rescue (We Hope)
SteelyKid has used a pacifier from very shortly after she was born. We’ve been slowly working her off it– she’s stopped taking it to day care, or using it other than at bedtime or in the car– but she’s resisted giving it up entirely. since she’s now a great big three-year old, we decided it […]
Happy Saturday Music
SteelyKid’s third birthday is next week, but we’re going to Kate’s mother’s for the day itself, so we’re having a birthday party today for her and her friends from day care. So, even though all the news is depressing, it’s a day to be happy. So here’s a happy song: (OK, I don’t quite know […]
Friday Physics Videos
We’re having a birthday party for SteelyKid tomorrow, so I have a ton of stuff to do today. I may have something more substantive later, but for the moment, here are a couple of videos to enjoy. First, from the Minute Physics set of videos at YouTube, an explanation of why you have quantum physics […]
How Good Are Polarized Sunglasses?
A while back, I explained how polarized sunglasses work, the short version of which is that light reflected off the ground in front of you tends to be polarized, and by blocking that light, they reduce the effects of glare. This is why fishermen wear polarized sunglasses (they make it easier to see through the […]
Roller Slide Physics Explained
On Monday, I posted a short video and asked about the underlying physics. Here’s the clip again, showing SteelyKid and then me going down a slide made up of a whole bunch of rollers at a local playground: The notable thing about this is that SteelyKid takes a much, much longer time to get down […]
Playground Physics: Roller Slide Mystery
We took SteelyKid to the playground at one of the local elementary schools on Sunday morning. this one includes an odd sort of slide, made of dozens of rollers that are 1-2 inches in diameter (they’re all the same size– the range is just because I didn’t measure them carefully). They’re on really good bearings, […]
Achievement Unlocked: Twisty Slide
Why no blogging today? Among other reasons, because we went to the playground with SteelyKid. And this: is a whole lot more fun than the Internet.