Monday, December 01, 2008


Here are the December stories at http://www.flyingcircusofphysics.com/

1. Beds-of-nails demonstration. How I do them, how I have been hurt, and how I have been really embarrassed. Some good photos are included. One is shown here --- I am doing push ups on a bed of very sharp nails while wearing Kelvar lined gloves.

2. Catching an arrow in flight. Can it really be done or is that just movie trickery?

3. Pub trick of the month --- how can you cause a bottle of beer or soda to suddenly freeze by tapping it?

4. Aerodynamics of high-speed trains --- if you are close to the track, why might you be knocked down and then pulled up against the train. There are videos of close calls.

5. The article of the month --- how to make quarter-wave and half-wave plates to examine the polarization of light and how you might be able to perceive the polarization with your unaided eye.