mad physics

A Saturday morning guide to antimatter

Here’s everything you ever wanted to know about antimatter, but were afraid to ask. Or most of the things you kind of wondered about antimatter but didn’t give that much of a crap about. Whichever. Although antimatter sounds pleasantly futuristic, it was both predicted and proven to exist back in the 1930s. A gentleman by…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Jun 12

What does it mean to “enrich” Uranium?

A must-read entry for all future dictators. Take a look at the meaning of “enriching uranium,” why it’s necessary, and some of the processes used to do it. Let’s say that, as an up-and-coming president-for-life of some unfortunate swath of land, you order some of that yellow cake uranium that you’ve been hearing so much…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Jun 6

Why is it colder at high altitudes?

High altitudes are closer to the sun, which means that they should be slightly warmer. Furthermore, the moisture from clouds should keep these altitudes at an even temperature. So why do airplanes need heating systems and mountain climbers get frozen? Most people will recognize, when reading the above paragraph, that a few thousand feet closer…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell May 29

What are white holes?

There are any number of jokes to be made here. All of them are inappropriate. Suffice it to say that white holes are a possible product of black holes, and they might show us what other universes look like. The idea that scientist could get a peek at matter from other universes – or other…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell May 23

Make a pair of glasses from index cards

It makes no sense to pay an optometrist for things like precisely-made lenses and glaucoma checks when most those things could be taken care of by getting some novelty frames, index cards, and thumb tacks. I am going to go out on a limb and assume that some of the people reading the site, and…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell May 22

What is St. Elmo’s Fire?

We’re all thinking of the movie. It can’t be helped. Just look at the picture once; then we’ll move on to the meteorological phenomenon and pretend that the movie never happened. Except for the song. Love that song. Saint Elmo was the patron saint of sailors. He was thrown into a pit of vipers by…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell May 21

The Big Bang Will Be Televised

Or, more precisely, the Big Bang is being televised. Find out what station to turn to in order to see the last vestiges of the glorious birth off all that is or ever will be. When Lost isn’t on. Fourteen billion years ago, everything in the universe was contained in the size of a single…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell May 16

How To Make A Tempest In A Two-Liter Bottle

Water vapor, pressure, temperature and seeding are what it takes to make a cloud. Use a two-liter soda bottle, some warm water, a match, and some hand strength to become a rainmaker. It’s all in the wrist. This is a demonstration that is meant to be safe for groups of children in grade school classes.…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell May 15

Why Are There Three Suns In The Sky?

Sun dogs, or parhelia, are little back-up suns that appear on either side of the sun. They are the Pips to the sun’s Gladys, the Lion and the Witch to the sun’s Wardrobe, and they look way cooler than rainbows. What is it that makes these parhelia possible? Only the most badass shape in the…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell May 9

Save On Hospital Bills, X-Ray Yourself With Sticky-Tape

Seriously though – don’t x-ray yourself with sticky-tape. You can, and we’ll tell you how. But seriously gang, don’t. First of all, let’s demystify x-rays. An x-ray is, in many ways, not any different from visible light. Both are produced when electrons shake off a little of their extra energy. Sometimes that happens when they…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell May 8

What Separates The Novas From The White Dwarves?

The Chandrasekhar Limit lets astronomers know which stars will end with a bang, and which stars will end with a whimper. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from tabloids and internet email forwards about psychological studies done in the seventies, it is that inside all of us lies a monster – a remorseless, rapacious, out-of-control…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell May 1

Use Your Microwave to Measure the Speed of Light

Can your microwave oven really measure the speed of light? Yes, it can be done. And since many of the suggested experiments also involve chocolate, it will be done. Oh yes, it will be done. First, a brief summary of the facts: Fact One: Microwaves are part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The electromagnetic spectrum includes…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Apr 29

What Happens When Black Holes Combine?

There are some theories, and yes, they are all disturbing. Black holes are space’s boogeymen. Although there are a lot of monsters out there in the universe – supernovas, asteroids, death stars – they are never quite as scary. Black holes retain a aura of mystery and menace. How could they not? They retain everything.…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Apr 27

Yes, You Can Levitate Objects With Sound

Acoustic levitation is some day going to be used to brush the dust off machinery on Mars. Learn why sound can lift objects off the ground and see an acoustic levitation chamber in action. “Sticks and stones may break your bones, but words will never hurt you.” This saying is repeated by schoolteachers, parents, and…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Apr 24

Building A Shrink Ray? Consult This Grisly Physics Paper About Exploding Horses

In the 1920s, J.B.S. Haldane published a paper entitled, “On Being the Right Size.” It is deliciously gruesome, and to this day, it remains one of the most accessible papers on the intersection of biology and physics. The paper shows its age a little when Haldane opens with a reference to Pilgrim’s Progress. My exposure…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Apr 10

Why Does Helium Make Voices Sound Squeaky?

Your birthday party isn’t complete without the helium-induced squeak, but what does physics say? Discover how people think it works, how it really works, and many, many ways to get hurt while demonstrating it. Don’t worry, no chipmunks are involved. The common misconception is that, because helium is a lighter element than the main components…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Mar 15

Physics Student Declares The Diameter of the Universe Is 1.4 Hellameters

A California physics student has petitioned the International System of Units to declare 10 to the 27th power (a trillion trillions) to be a “hella.” As in meters, kilometers, hellameters. If he prevails, the universe officially becomes hella big. Austin Sendek is studying physics at UC Davis, and felt it was time that extremely large…

io9 Annalee Newitz Mar 2

Carbon-22 Is Shockingly Huge And Shockingly Stable

Physicists in Japan have discovered Carbon-22, an exotic isotope of one of the universe’s most abundant elements. With a nucleus greater than those of heavier elements like carbon and zinc, it is the biggest example yet of a “halo nucleus.” Discovered in a particle accelerator at the University of Tokyo, Carbon-22 has six protons and…

io9 Alasdair Wilkins Feb 10

Travel The Universe on Zero Units of Energy Per Day!

No more heavy fuel, perilous reactor-core explosions, or dilithium crystal shortages. The Casimir Effect could make fuel-less space travel possible. To understand the Casimir Effect, we must first establish that the unforgiving nothingness of space – which has claimed the lives of so many minor characters in science fiction films, and the sanity of the…

io9 Esther Inglis-Arkell Jan 27

Physicst Proves That R2D2 Is Lighter Than Styrofoam

A physicist carefully examined the way R2D2 flies in Attack of the Clones, and has come to a startling discovery. Examining the thrust of R2’s flight, then adding in gravity and resistance, he discerned that R2’s mass is 100 grams. Rhett Alain, a physicist at Southeastern Louisiana University, first turns R2’s flight into a free…

io9 Annalee Newitz Jan 21

A Saturday morning guide to antimatter

What does it mean to “enrich” Uranium?

Why is it colder at high altitudes?

What are white holes?

Make a pair of glasses from index cards

What is St. Elmo’s Fire?

The Big Bang Will Be Televised

How To Make A Tempest In A Two-Liter Bottle

Why Are There Three Suns In The Sky?

Save On Hospital Bills, X-Ray Yourself With Sticky-Tape

What Separates The Novas From The White Dwarves?

Use Your Microwave to Measure the Speed of Light

What Happens When Black Holes Combine?

Yes, You Can Levitate Objects With Sound

Building A Shrink Ray? Consult This Grisly Physics Paper About Exploding Horses

Why Does Helium Make Voices Sound Squeaky?

Physics Student Declares The Diameter of the Universe Is 1.4 Hellameters

Carbon-22 Is Shockingly Huge And Shockingly Stable

Travel The Universe on Zero Units of Energy Per Day!

Physicst Proves That R2D2 Is Lighter Than Styrofoam

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