Popular Physics
The calculation of the energy required to raise a constituent block of the Khufu pyramid and the knowledge of the mechanical energy that a worker in charge of the lifting of the blocks can produce per working day allows an estimate of the…
I propose the Cosmic Hitchhikers hypothesis as follows. Advanced extraterrestrial civilizations may use free-floating planets as interstellar transportation for space exploration and interstellar colonization. Large groups or populations of…
We present a physics show musical with live physics experiments and live performed songs with live orchestral accompaniment. The musical was first put on stage in German at the Physikalische Institut, University of Bonn, on the 24th of…
Pushing the precision frontier for gravitational waves is one of the most urgent tasks in theoretical physics today, in light of the increasing influx of data from a rapidly growing worldwide network of gravitational-wave detectors.
The Solar Gravitational Lens (SGL) is a gift of nature that Humanity is now ready to exploit. SGL physics started with Einstein's 1936 paper on the gravitational lensing; it was not until 1979 that the idea of a space mission reaching the…
Examples are presented for appearance of geometric symmetry in the shape of various astronomical objects and phenomena. Usage of these symmetries in astrophysical and extragalactic research is also discussed.
In this article I will explore some uses of the concept of Boltzmann brains in comics (Marvel's The Incredible Hercules), an animated sitcom (Futurama) and a film (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2). Previous similar uses of the concept…
The Clausius-Clapeyron relation and its analogs in other first-order phase transitions, such as type-I superconductors, are derived using very elementary methods, without appealing to the more advanced concepts of entropy or Gibbs free…
Collisions of atomic nuclei at relativistic velocities allow to recreate the conditions encountered in neutron stars or in the early universe micro-seconds after the Big Bang. These reactions are performed in today's largest accelerator…
This is a popular lecture about the history of gravitational wave research. Without any doubt, the discovery of gravitational waves is the most important event in the physics of the last decade along with the discovery of the Higgs boson.…
In this work we present the concept of guided self-replicating factory (GSFR). This factory would be established as a colony on the Moon, Mercury, Mars, or Asteroid Belt. GSFR would grow by using in situ materials in order to manufacture…
A technologically mature colony on Mars can produce and deliver at least 1 million tons of liquid hydrogen per year to one or more propellant depots at Low Earth Orbit (LEO). Production of 1 $kg$ of hydrogen at Marian colony and its…
The task of designing a city-state of one million residents on the planet Mars seemingly approaches the limit of perceived human ingenuity. A city-state on Mars of this capacity requires us to conform to and master the simplest aspects of…
The implementation of a feasible colony on Mars has been discussed and analyzed for some time. It is noted that Mars offers all necessary in-situ resources to allow for self-sustainability, with the most efficient techniques and systems to…
In this paper we use Newton's 3rd law to deduce the simplest model of an object that can perform a standing vertical jump -- a two-segmented object with an initial constant repulsive force between the segments, followed by an abrupt…
This brief proposes a quasi time-fuel optimal control strategy to solve the dynamic tracking problem of unmanned systems when fuel and control input are limited. This kind of motion planning and control strategy could bring the biggest…
A brief essay on how studying neutrinos can help us to better understand the Universe.
The importance of implementing unitarity constraints in meson spectroscopy is very briefly outlined for Portuguese students of engineering sciences and therefore non-experts in the field. After explaining the profound differences between…
The data center of tomorrow is a data center made up of heterogeneous systems, which will run heterogeneous workloads. The systems will be located as close as possible to the data. Heterogeneous systems will be equipped with binary,…
We present quantitative measurements on a classic experiment proposed for the first time in 1947 to illustrate the phenomenon of a chain reaction in nuclear fission. The experiment involves a number of mousetraps loaded with solid balls.…