Popular Physics
Two technological problems must be solved before daring to interstellar flight: fuel and propulsion. The highest energy-density fuel is antimatter in its solid or liquid state and this fuel is likely to be our primary choice for multi-ton…
The purpose of this paper is to give an intuitive explanation of the Foucault pendulum precession (Fpp) by exploiting the easily proved result that infinitesimal spatial rotations about different axes in three dimensions are additive. This…
In 1936, Albert Einstein wrote a brief article where he suggested the possibility that a massive object acted as a lens, amplifying the brightness of a star. As time went by, this phenomenon, known as gravitational lensing, has become a…
Our proposed experiment aimed to test the validity of the Lorentz factor with two methods: The time of flight (TOF) of various particles at different momenta and the decay rate of pions at different momenta. Due to the high sensitivity…
One reason that the planet Neptune will be remembered for, is to do with the fact that it was the first planet whose existence was postulated before being observed. This was based on analysing deviations in Uranus' orbit. The present study…
This paper explores the physics of the what-if question "what if the entire Earth was instantaneously replaced with an equal volume of closely packed, but uncompressed blueberries?" While the assumption may be absurd, the consequences can…
This is a brief, popular-level introduction to holographic entanglement. It was published in the newsletter of the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences, Bangalore.
Did the Fukushima incident in 2011 leave its signature via the Cs-137 radioactivity in wines, mainly from the Nappa Valley? This is a short note about a few measurements done at the PRISNA facility in Bordeaux, France, where the method of…
The measurement of the ratio of 228Th vs 228Ra, two isotopes from the natural radioactivity, is an ancient, but not entirely reliable, method of dating biological materials. It has been applied for the dating of fishes with mitigated…
Ideas are nurtured by informal dialogues in environments where mistakes are tolerated and critical thinking is encouraged.
Detection of gravitational waves by LIGO-Virgo observatories disclosed the agent of gravity (gravitons) and together with information paradox of black hole event horizon points to paradigm shift from non-quantum geometry to quantum gravity…
These programme notes were written for a production of "Hapgood" at the Hampstead Theatre, London in December 2015. I thank Sir Tom Stoppard for helpful suggestions.
This article is a conceptual exposition on the structure of the tree. It demonstrates an evolutionary design that the tree possesses in the perspective of a structural engineer.
In 1931, Dirac advanced a startling prediction about the existence of a new elementary particle, characterized by a magnetic charge of a single polarity: the magnetic monopole. This prediction, that was not based on experimental reasons but…
Captain Einstein is a virtual reality (VR) movie that takes you on a boat trip in a world with a slow speed of light. This allows for a direct experience of the theory of special relativity, much in the same spirit as in the Mr. Tompkins…
A series of 32 green tea leaves samples from different Asian producers were analyzed by direct {\gamma}-ray spectrometry at the PRISNA facility in Bordeaux. All the samples contain about 500 Bq/kg of 40K and 10 Bq/kg of 210Pb. As expected,…
Some physical aspects of Chinese cuisine are discussed. We start from the cultural and historical particularities of the Chinese cuisine and technologies of food production. What is the difference between raw and boiled meat? What is the…
11" D mylar heads over a normal range of tensions (DrumDial 85 to 91) and "open-back" backed pots of depths 2", 2 3/4", and 5 5/8" are studied over the range 100 to 2000 Hz. Normal modes and resonant frequencies of the heads and of the pot…
Balloon releases are one of the main attractions of many fairs. Helium filled rubber balloons are released to carry postcards over preferably long distances. Although such balloons have been considered in atmospheric sciences and air safety…
We consider how an advanced civilization might build a radiator to send gravitational waves signals by using small black holes. Micro black holes on the scale of centimeters but with masses of asteroids to planets are manipulated with a…