Every year, The New SciÂenÂtist sponÂsors an illuÂsion conÂtest, and, above, we have the winÂner of the 2010 ediÂtion: A conÂtrapÂtion creÂatÂed by KouÂkichi SugÂiÂhara (MeiÂji InstiÂtute for Advanced Study of MathÂeÂmatÂiÂcal SciÂences, Japan) that appears to defy gravÂiÂty, allowÂing woodÂen balls to roll up slopes. But, in actuÂal fact “the oriÂenÂtaÂtions of the slopes are perÂceived oppoÂsiteÂly, and hence the descendÂing motion is misÂinÂterÂpretÂed as ascendÂing motion.” You can now make subÂmisÂsions to the 2011 ediÂtion.
Stephen Hawking: Abandon Earth Or Face Extinction
As the year winds to a close, Big Think has pulled togethÂer a list of their Most PopÂuÂlar Videos of 2010. PerÂhaps the biggest thinker on the list is Stephen HawkÂing, the renowned theÂoÂretÂiÂcal physiÂcist, who issues a stark warnÂing. “Our only chance of long term surÂvival, is not to remain inward lookÂing on planÂet Earth, but to spread out into space.” PopÂuÂlaÂtion growth, limÂitÂed resources, cliÂmate change – these presÂsures could driÂve the human race into extincÂtion withÂin two cenÂturies, and posÂsiÂbly even one. That makes space – planÂets beyond our own – the next great fronÂtier.
How Large is the Universe?
For cenÂturies, humanÂiÂty has been utterÂly transÂfixed by the cosÂmos, with genÂerÂaÂtions of astronomers, philosoÂphers and everyÂday ponÂderÂers strivÂing to betÂter underÂstand the grand capÂsule of our exisÂtence. And yet to this day, some of the most basic, funÂdaÂmenÂtal qualÂiÂties of the uniÂverse remain a mysÂtery. How Large is the UniÂverse? is a fasÂciÂnatÂing 20-minute docÂuÂmenÂtary by Thomas Lucas and Dave Brody explorÂing the uniÂverse’s immense scale of disÂtance and time.
“Recent preÂciÂsion meaÂsureÂments gathÂered by the HubÂble space teleÂscope and othÂer instruÂments have brought a conÂsenÂsus that the uniÂverse dates back 13.7 bilÂlion years. Its radius, then, is the disÂtance a beam of light would have travÂeled in that time – 13.7 bilÂlion light years. That works out to about 1.3 quadrillion kiloÂmeÂters. In fact, it’s even bigÂger – much bigÂger. How it got so large, so fast, was until recentÂly a deep mysÂtery.”
For more on the subÂject, see these five fasÂciÂnatÂing ways to grasp the size and scale of the uniÂverse.
Maria PopoÂva is the founder and ediÂtor in chief of Brain PickÂings, a curatÂed invenÂtoÂry of cross-disÂciÂpliÂnary interÂestÂingÂness. She writes for Wired UK, GOOD MagÂaÂzine and DesigÂnObÂservÂer, and spends a great deal of time on TwitÂter.
The Physics Behind “Unstoppable”
Can they stop the train loaded with hazÂardous chemÂiÂcals before this “misÂsile the size of the Chrysler BuildÂing” hits a popÂuÂlatÂed area and “vaporÂizes everyÂthing in front of it?” That’s the big quesÂtion that driÂves along the plot of the new DenÂzel WashÂingÂton thriller, UnstopÂpable. If you don’t believe me, just watch the trailÂer above. Now we get all acaÂdÂeÂmÂic on you and ask: Is that train realÂly as powÂerÂful as a skyÂscraper-sized misÂsile? And then we turn to Emory physics proÂfesÂsor SidÂney Perkowitz for the answer:
Perkowitz is a good perÂson to size things up. He’s not just any physics proÂfesÂsor. This physics prof wrote the book HolÂlyÂwood SciÂence: Movies, SciÂence and the End of the World and he sits on the adviÂsoÂry board of the SciÂence and EnterÂtainÂment Exchange, a NationÂal AcadÂeÂmy of SciÂences proÂgram that tries to bring more sciÂenÂtifÂic accuÂraÂcy to mass marÂket enterÂtainÂment. Thanks Stephen for the good tip here …
Do Physicists Believe in God?
Every day, physiÂcists and astronomers conÂfront the wonÂders of the uniÂverse. But does starÂing into the subÂlime abyss incline them toward a belief in God? Not if you ask the physiÂcists at The UniÂverÂsiÂty of NotÂtingÂham School of Physics and AstronÂoÂmy, who answer big quesÂtions on YouTube and SixÂty SymÂbols, includÂing “What hapÂpens if you stick your hand inside the Large Hadron ColÂlidÂer, the world’s largest parÂtiÂcle accelÂerÂaÂtor?
The NotÂtingÂham physiÂcists are in some good comÂpaÂny. AccordÂing to a well-known 1997 study pubÂlished in Nature, biolÂoÂgists withÂin the NationÂal AcadÂeÂmy of SciÂences rejectÂed God and immorÂtalÂiÂty at rates of 65.2% and 69.0%. MeanÂwhile, when physÂiÂcal sciÂenÂtists were polled, the numÂbers rose to 79.0% and 76.3%. The sumÂmaÂry origÂiÂnalÂly pubÂlished by Nature now appears here.
via PourMeÂCofÂfee
Richard Feynman: Fun to Imagine
Back in 1983, the BBC aired Fun to ImagÂine, a teleÂviÂsion series hostÂed by Richard FeynÂman that used physics to explain how the everyÂday world works – “why rubÂber bands are stretchy, why tenÂnis balls can’t bounce forÂevÂer, and what you’re realÂly seeÂing when you look in the mirÂror.” In case you’re not familÂiar with him, FeynÂman was a Nobel prize-winÂning physiÂcist who had a gift for many things, includÂing popÂuÂlarÂizÂing sciÂence and parÂticÂuÂlarÂly physics. The clip above comes from Fun to ImagÂine, and thanks to this YouTube video, you can now watch all six videos in the series, each runÂning about 12 minÂutes. If you’re lookÂing for more FeynÂman videos, let me give you this: The PleaÂsure of FindÂing Things Out, an hour-long BBC/PBS proÂgram from 1981, and FeynÂman’s legÂendary lecÂtures on physics taped in 1964, now postÂed online courÂtesy of Bill Gates. And, oh yes, don’t forÂget FeynÂman playÂing the bonÂgos too…
Want to study some physics? Get Free Physics coursÂes here. And Free Physics TextÂbooks here.
Einstein for the Masses: Yale Presents a Primer on the Great Physicist’s Thinking
Who couldÂn’t use this? A basic introÂducÂtion to EinÂstein’s thinkÂing – one that assumes no priÂor knowlÂedge, just an open mind. In one short hour, RamaÂmurÂti Shankar (ProÂfesÂsor of Physics & Applied Physics at Yale) breaks down EinÂstein’s theÂoÂries and forÂmuÂlas for a lay audiÂence. If this whets your appetite, then you’ll want to downÂload Shankar’s free course called The FunÂdaÂmenÂtals of Physics. You can downÂload it here (iTunes — YouTube — Web Site), or find it in the Physics secÂtion of our big colÂlecÂtion of Free Online CoursÂes.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
ModÂern Physics: A ComÂplete IntroÂducÂtion
Bill Gates Puts Richard FeynÂman LecÂtures Online
LearnÂing Physics Through Free CoursÂes
The Search For Hidden Dimensions
An imporÂtant AmerÂiÂcan string theÂoÂrist, BriÂan Greene hasÂn’t shied away from bringÂing heady theÂoÂretÂiÂcal physics to the broadÂer pubÂlic. His 1999 bestÂselling book, The EleÂgant UniÂverse, introÂduced string theÂoÂry to non speÂcialÂists, and it was latÂer adaptÂed into a three hour, Emmy award-winÂning teleÂviÂsion series by NOVA. (You can buy it on DVD, or simÂply watch it online here.) Now, on RichardDawkins.Net, Greene hosts a short video that takes us into the specÂuÂlaÂtive world of “hidÂden dimenÂsions.” If borne out, these theÂoÂries could entireÂly reframe our underÂstandÂing of the Big Bang and where our world fits into the largÂer cosÂmos. You can find more videos along these lines on RichardDawkins.net, and also on his relatÂed YouTube ChanÂnel (which hapÂpens to appear in our colÂlecÂtion of IntelÂliÂgent YouTube ChanÂnels).
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