You’ve seen them a million times. You might be wearing one right now. But do you…
Author: Rhett Allain
What Happens If a Space Elevator Breaks
These structures are a sci-fi solution to the problem of getting objects into orbit without a…
The Physics of the James Webb Space Telescope
Humanity has a new eye in the sky, with infrared sensors that will peer into the…
The Physics of Wile E. Coyote’s 10 Billion-Volt Electromagnet
The famous cartoon schemer has an ingenious plan to lure Bugs Bunny out of his hole—and…
The World Is Messy. Idealizations Make the Physics Simple
Even ordinary actions, like tossing a tennis ball, can be extraordinarily complex to calculate. The trick…
Can Your Gravitational Pull Affect Your Game of Pool?
It’s hard enough to predict the outcome of ball collisions in a game of billiards. Do…
Why Buzz Lightyear’s Rocket Launch Looks Better Than Reality
We use video analysis to compare an animated liftoff to an actual one, proving that truth…
Will Nathan Drake Make This Jump in the Uncharted Trailer?
Leaping into an airborne cargo plane might not be impossible, but the numbers have to work…
Want to Lie on a Bed of Nails? Physics Has Your Back
This is the science of why you can recline on an array of very sharp things…
If Clouds Are Made of Water, How Do They Stay in the Air?
Despite the conventional wisdom, they don’t really float.