Everyone learns in grade school that you can’t divide by zero, but few of us ever learn (or fully understand) why. The stock answer is that it gives you an answer of infinity. The truth is a bit more nuanced than that, and an old mechanical calculator offers the perfect illustration.
Most of us know how to get a ribbon to curl, by swiftly pulling a scissor blade across the surface. You’ve probably heard that the faster you do this, the tighter the curl. Physics begs to differ.
Here now is a practical demonstration on impulsive tension, and why a large force applied for a very short period of time is bad for tow hooks.
No doubt you're already familiar with the many ways graphene promises to save us all, but there's another (so-called) miracle material out there vying for your attention—and it's sparkly, to boot. Say hello to the latest and greatest substance to kick science's ass straight into the future: the nanodiamond.
Richard Feynman left the world many legacies, including multiple books on physics, the atomic bomb, and some stellar bongo solos. He also left the world the mystery of the Feynman Sprinkler — proving that science doesn't have to be impressive to be frustrating.
Counter to everything you've ever been told, it appears that wrapping babies' heads in plastic bags may very well be the key to a full and happy life—at least for those born of obstructed labor, anyway. And what's more, this novel idea came about from one of the most unlikely sources: a car mechanic dreaming about…
This machine by Arthur Ganson just blew my mind: its engine runs at 200 revolutions per minute but the last gear of its 12-gear mechanism is locked to a block of concrete. It looks still but, in reality, it is moving. You just can't see it because it completes one revolution every two trillion years. How the hell is…
Mitsubishi Corporation has developed a set of three interlocking gears that can move around in different movement patterns while spinning at full tilt — which in some cases can reach an astounding 6,000 rpm.
This gorgeous experimental film by director Joey Bania explores the unique and dazzlingly creative world of Blair Somerville, resident inventor, tinkerer, and self-described "organic mechanic" of Popotowai, New Zealand. The film, which mixes elements of documentary film making with time-lapse motifs and stop-motion…
When you think of the fastest accelerators in the animal kingdom, large, muscular mammals will probably be the first that come to mind. But steady among them is the inconspicuous adolescent issus, who can hit an acceleration of 400 gs in 2 milliseconds flat (humans lose consciousness over 5 gs)—all thanks to what…
In May of 1976 in New York City, Roger Sharpe watched nervously as city council members piled into a Manhattan courtroom. Reporters and camera operators had already begun setting up, eagerly anticipating the proceedings ahead. Roger, a young magazine writer for GQ and the New York Times among others, did not expect…
This, ladies and gentlemen, is the world's first stainless steel robot with seven degrees of freedom. But before I explain what that means or why it matters, kindly take a moment to watch this Kawasaki Heavy Industries bot dance. Nice moves!
Even if it doesn't come with 470 HP and Wi-Fi connectivity, your car is the biggest and most expensive gadget you own. And unless you trade your vehicle in as often as your MacBook, keeping that ride in peak operating condition is absolutely vital to keeping repair costs down over its lifespan.
This mechanical wet bar—called the "Green Bar" for its structural reliance on mostly recycled wood—is the work of self-taught mixed-media artist Dale Mathis.
Over at Atlas Obscura, the editors have gathered together an incredible list of the longest-running scientific experiments in history. But we were most intrigued by two mechanical experiments that started during the nineteenth century and never stopped.
Square gears. Oval gears. Friggin goldfish and squid gears. My brain says none of these should work, but my eyes beg to differ. It feels like I'm breaking the rules.
Stamps and envelopes and mailboxes—I DON'T DO THAT. But these MechaniCards—a set of five intricate and mesmerizing handcrafted mechanical sculptures you can send in the mail—are awesome enough to get me back standing in line for postage.
Here we have a large, complex machine built entirely of cardboard. It has cardboard gears and cardboard pulleys, cardboard levers and cardboard buttons. I wonder if it was packaged in a box made of a hulking old computer. [Make]
This flying greenhouse is the latest project from La Machine, a French street theater company famous for their grandiose creations. The future of gardening: one part Up, one part Wild Wild West, and two parts, um, plants. [Wired, Jordi Bover]
Last month, I risked life and limb to tell you about Celsius X-VI-II, a shadowy French company who was building a $300,000 mechanical cellphone. The first pictures of the phone have surfaced, though they don't exactly answer our questions.
