tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291269532024-03-13T08:02:15.382-07:00Flying Circus of PhysicsJearl Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14691325576191465053noreply@blogger.comBlogger126125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29126953.post-5291710286392860622016-04-03T11:43:00.000-07:002016-04-03T11:43:40.000-07:00April 2016 Flying Circus of Physics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HnA9cQTEC-M/VwFjOnKCljI/AAAAAAAAAgg/CM6qjS9UmMIajoI01zMti6Loqd1SI-fmg/s1600/Boogie%2BWoogie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HnA9cQTEC-M/VwFjOnKCljI/AAAAAAAAAgg/CM6qjS9UmMIajoI01zMti6Loqd1SI-fmg/s320/Boogie%2BWoogie.jpg" width="274" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lpLX_tS87e8/VwFjSbwQBbI/AAAAAAAAAgk/WDop-uyYqu8l0EXev3FhRPTi8mD0Pb6DQ/s1600/Sheep%2Bvs%2Bcar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="131" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lpLX_tS87e8/VwFjSbwQBbI/AAAAAAAAAgk/WDop-uyYqu8l0EXev3FhRPTi8mD0Pb6DQ/s320/Sheep%2Bvs%2Bcar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">April stories at the main FCP site: (1) How fans of the
Seattle Seahawks (and other teams) can generate ground waves that trigger local
seismic monitoring recorders. (2) Big-horn sheep (males) crash into each other
headfirst. What happens when a vehicle gets in the way? (3) How can you
generate waves one meter high in a small, backyard kiddie pool? (4) Physics
goes boogie woogie in this video: </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWDfxgngrNc"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-small;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWDfxgngrNc</span></a><span style="font-size: x-small;">
. The FCP website is now 10 years old. Come visit at </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">for hundreds of physics stories. More stories can be found at FCP Facebook.</span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.flyingcircusofphysics.com/" target="_blank">Flying Circus of Physics</a></span></div>
</div>
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Flying-Circus-of-Physics-339329532602/" target="_blank">FCP Facebook</a>Jearl Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14691325576191465053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29126953.post-50326575699245926722016-03-06T18:49:00.001-08:002016-03-06T18:49:07.284-08:00March 2016 FCP stories<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DbEgKXw7YRc/VtzqZ7wYMFI/AAAAAAAAAgM/oYwg_WTRRsY/s1600/Car%2Braised%2Bby%2Bfire%2Bhoses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DbEgKXw7YRc/VtzqZ7wYMFI/AAAAAAAAAgM/oYwg_WTRRsY/s320/Car%2Braised%2Bby%2Bfire%2Bhoses.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">March 2016 FCP stories at the main FCP site: (1) Holding a fire hose
under pressure can knock you off your feet. Can it levitate you? Can multiple
fire hoses levitate a car? (2) The disaster of the Boston molasses flood. (3)
Why is Finland spraying retroreflecting dye on to the antlers of reindeer? (4)
A helicopter pilot cleverly uses pendulum physics to drop a load of Christmas
trees into a waiting truck.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<a href="http://www.flyingcircusofphysics.com/" target="_blank">main fcp site</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Flying-Circus-of-Physics/339329532602" target="_blank">Facebook FCP site</a> Latest item: cartoon about the superposition of states for a chicken.Jearl Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14691325576191465053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29126953.post-26448656116795192142016-02-03T07:30:00.001-08:002016-02-03T07:30:32.154-08:00FCP stories for Feb 2016
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">February
2016 stories at the main FCP site: (1) Can you increase the range of your fob
(remote car opening transmitter) by holding the device next to your body? (2)
What produces the annoying sound in knuckle cracking? (3) How can you
distinguish a new alkaline battery from a used one by simply dropping them? (4)
Dramatic videos in which the ultimate strength of concrete is tested. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<a href="http://www.flyingcircusofphysics.com/" target="_blank">FCP</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Flying-Circus-of-Physics/339329532602" target="_blank">FCP Facebook</a><br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChrOvC-DFkPNxKIxe-XKD3g" target="_blank">FCP videos with Cleveland State Univ</a>Jearl Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14691325576191465053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29126953.post-68125072525424387212016-01-04T12:22:00.001-08:002016-01-04T12:22:25.376-08:00FCP stories for January 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NutVnQsNk78/VorTd4-yb_I/AAAAAAAAAfw/_SK2pudC33A/s1600/Magnetic%2Bcoins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-NutVnQsNk78/VorTd4-yb_I/AAAAAAAAAfw/_SK2pudC33A/s320/Magnetic%2Bcoins.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1aXS5JXL4fY/VorTjWNyTII/AAAAAAAAAf4/ZqUYY8gCL5I/s1600/Mud%2Bescape.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1aXS5JXL4fY/VorTjWNyTII/AAAAAAAAAf4/ZqUYY8gCL5I/s320/Mud%2Bescape.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">January 2016 stories at the main
FCP site: (1) clever physics allows for escape from deep mud, (2) how physics
allows a young man to hit a high note in a church choir, (3) painting on a
spinning canvas leads to novel designs, (4) balancing coins on edge (well,
there’s a trick behind this stunt)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<a href="http://www.flyingcircusofphysics.com/" target="_blank">FCP</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Flying-Circus-of-Physics/339329532602" target="_blank">FCP at Facebook</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChrOvC-DFkPNxKIxe-XKD3g" target="_blank">my new video series</a>Jearl Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14691325576191465053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29126953.post-36008541223239048742015-12-09T18:46:00.002-08:002015-12-09T18:46:48.224-08:00Video 7 in the Flying Circus of Physics video series<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4Eiqp-Unnpk/VmjnAwhtwuI/AAAAAAAAAfc/BSoSGcz5ZaI/s1600/Photo%2Binverted%2Bwater%2Bglass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4Eiqp-Unnpk/VmjnAwhtwuI/AAAAAAAAAfc/BSoSGcz5ZaI/s320/Photo%2Binverted%2Bwater%2Bglass.jpg" width="302" /></a></div>
The seventh video in my Flying Circus of Physics video series with Cleveland State University has now been posted. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChrOvC-DFkPNxKIxe-XKD3g" target="_blank">The FCP video series</a>Jearl Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14691325576191465053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29126953.post-36366930982428594532015-12-02T12:11:00.000-08:002015-12-02T12:11:37.295-08:00Dec 2015 stories at Flying Circus of Physics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img alt="flyingcircusofphysics.com" border="0" height="220" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xm5tEELSYtU/Vl9PNXMAGbI/AAAAAAAAAfI/aOnrK1pFZkM/s320/Lynch_Page_2%2B%2528450x310%2529.jpg" width="320" /></div>
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">December 2015 stories at the main FCP site: (1) An
obviously intoxicated example of simple harmonic motion and then some
disturbing examples of similar motion in amusement park rides. (I still do not
get why anyone would use these rides, much less why they would pay to use these
rides.) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(2) Pub trick, or maybe disco
trick: a gin and tonic will fluoresce in black light (UV light) and then after
you drink it, your urine might fluoresce for days in black light (well,
assuming you have a black light source wherever you happen to urinate --- this
is definitely something that I do not need to know about you). (3) Marshawn
Lynch of the Seattle Seahawks in American football offers a dramatic example of
how the vector addition of many forces can result in a small net force. (4) The
ink in your ballpoint pen is engineered to be non-Newtonian, otherwise every
time you would tuck the pen into your clothing, the clothing would be drenched
with ink. </span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Facebook FCP </span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><a href="http://flyingcircusofphysics.com/" target="_blank">FCP main site</a></span><br />
<br />Jearl Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14691325576191465053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29126953.post-19567954347119224012015-10-31T15:29:00.001-07:002015-10-31T15:29:22.737-07:00Coffee acoustics
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The next video in my series with
Cleveland State University has been posted. Suppose that you are in a
restaurant when a nearby customer repeatedly taps his spoon against the cup’s
interior. The tapping sends sound waves into the water, and the sound waves
within a certain range of frequencies build up by constructive interference.
Thus, the noise (and your irritation at the repeated tapping) can be significant.
If the person then adds powdered coffee (or almost any other type of powder) to
the water and continues to tap, the frequency range noticeably shifts and then
gradually returns to its initial value. I am so fascinated by the physics of
that shift that I have tested it out in every restaurant I have visited. Indeed,
maybe that person that so irritated you was me.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChrOvC-DFkPNxKIxe-XKD3g" target="_blank">My video series</a></span><span style="font-size: x-small;">
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Jearl Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14691325576191465053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29126953.post-88798760607029333562015-10-30T06:38:00.002-07:002015-10-30T06:38:57.313-07:00November 2015 stories at the Flying Circus of Physics website<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fvAqCbnkFGg/VjNxt3Cyd1I/AAAAAAAAAes/kheGbG8vYnQ/s1600/Football.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fvAqCbnkFGg/VjNxt3Cyd1I/AAAAAAAAAes/kheGbG8vYnQ/s320/Football.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7j-d5Y726HY/VjNx237HuvI/AAAAAAAAAe0/34h5bWc9XzA/s1600/Black%2Band%2Btan%2Bglass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7j-d5Y726HY/VjNx237HuvI/AAAAAAAAAe0/34h5bWc9XzA/s320/Black%2Band%2Btan%2Bglass.jpg" width="199" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">November 2015 stories at the main
site for The Flying Circus of Physics: (1) Players on a football field are hurt
when lightning strikes nearby. For several years I figured that they were hurt
by the currents spreading along the ground from the point of the strike. But
recently (and in class), I changed my explanation --- I think they were hurt by
upward streamers at their heads. (2) Pub trick --- pouring a black and tan, a
popular layered beer drink. (3) Coating an egg with black soot and then
dropping it into water gives the egg a glimmering edge. How can a black egg
become brighter? (4) A rotating, soaked sponge ball sprays water in spiral arms
that resemble a spiral galaxy. However, when something is thrown off a rotating
object, it must move in a straight line. So, what causes the appearance of
spiral arms? More stories are at the FCP Facebook site (open access).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<a href="http://www.flyingcircusofphysics.com/" target="_blank">www.flyingcircusofphysics.com</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Flying-Circus-of-Physics-339329532602/" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/Flying-Circus-of-Physics-339329532602/</a>Jearl Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14691325576191465053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29126953.post-68688603608930837622015-09-30T19:16:00.002-07:002015-09-30T19:16:47.631-07:00Flying Circus of Physics October 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SIKJpCcWL2A/VgyVBycHpeI/AAAAAAAAAeI/e5L46qWCZVk/s1600/15%2BOct%2Bhoro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SIKJpCcWL2A/VgyVBycHpeI/AAAAAAAAAeI/e5L46qWCZVk/s320/15%2BOct%2Bhoro.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xxe-nudUe-Q/VgyVJibhgiI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/3ElWoWvrj8g/s1600/water%2Bdrop%2Bpeak%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="144" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xxe-nudUe-Q/VgyVJibhgiI/AAAAAAAAAeQ/3ElWoWvrj8g/s320/water%2Bdrop%2Bpeak%2B2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">The October 2015 stories at the main FCP site:
(1) Pointy ice drops --- water drops that form peaks at their tops when they
freeze and that then form fern-like structures along their sides. (2) Japanese
samurai warriors wore large cloth bags on their back when they rode into
battle. Were these horo, as they are called, purely for decoration or were they
protective devices against the arrows the opponents shot at the warriors? A
video reveals the function of the horo. (3) Here is a challenge against all
common sense: Drive a nail into the ceiling by juggling hammers beneath it.
This juggler manages to do just that in spite of the fact that an object (here
a hammer) slows as it moves upward. So, what is his secret? (4) Pub trick: on a
card draw arrows pointing left and right. In a pub setting, how can you reverse
their directions without touching the card (and, of course, without standing on
your head, which would certainly get you thrown out of the pub)? Oh, by the way, I intend to post stories on the Facebook site more frequently. A few days ago I posted a story about how people made an ice merry-go-round in the middle of a lake. It must have been a depressing winter, or maybe they just wanted a project to justify lots of adult beverages.</span><a href="http://www.flyingcircusofphysics.com/" target="_blank">Flying Circus of Physics main site</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Flying-Circus-of-Physics-339329532602/timeline/" target="_blank">FCP Facebook</a>Jearl Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14691325576191465053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29126953.post-1510214704866915572015-07-05T13:32:00.000-07:002015-07-05T13:32:58.604-07:00FCP stories for July 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dAN_7FvpUQI/VZmT3cLwGQI/AAAAAAAAAdw/ft2ACee2HWM/s1600/Coffee%2Bcarrier%2B%2528300x640%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dAN_7FvpUQI/VZmT3cLwGQI/AAAAAAAAAdw/ft2ACee2HWM/s320/Coffee%2Bcarrier%2B%2528300x640%2529.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="color: #141823; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The July stories at the main FCP site: (1) sloshing – When
you walk with a cup of coffee, why does the coffee tend to slosh out of the
cup? When you walk with a mug of beer, why is the sloshing much less? Other
examples of sloshing are given, such as the swimming pool on a ship in rough
waters, and how to use sloshing to float an initially submerged canoe. (2)
Pinhole rifle sites, pinhole glasses, and pinhole selfies. (3) Turkish coffee
is brewed in hot sand --- why the sand? (4) Pub trick – balancing a safety pin
on the rim of any common drinking glass.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<a href="http://www.flyingcircusofphysics.com/" target="_blank">Flying Circus of Physics</a>Jearl Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14691325576191465053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29126953.post-47963875117124202772015-06-01T08:41:00.000-07:002015-06-01T08:41:57.617-07:00June 2015 stories at Flying Circus of Physics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GOUun2WHC6o/VWx8GEppw3I/AAAAAAAAAdM/-a9RJB-zRzc/s1600/Episode%2B2%2Bcropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GOUun2WHC6o/VWx8GEppw3I/AAAAAAAAAdM/-a9RJB-zRzc/s320/Episode%2B2%2Bcropped.jpg" width="291" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN" style="color: #141823; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">The
second episode of my Flying Circus of Physics video series with Cleveland State
has now been posted. </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChrOvC-DFkPNxKIxe-XKD3g" target="_blank">FCP video series</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JsXJCLnHtVo/VWx80wc_X4I/AAAAAAAAAdU/xkCN7ze5pzI/s1600/Sapphire%2B%2528640x467%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JsXJCLnHtVo/VWx80wc_X4I/AAAAAAAAAdU/xkCN7ze5pzI/s320/Sapphire%2B%2528640x467%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The June 2015 stories at the main FCP site: (1) The physics
of rockfalls, with several dramatic videos. (2) Shooting a laser beam into a
reflecting room. (3) The optical illusion of a star sapphire. (3) Pub magic
trick of balancing paper currency on a single outstretched finger at one end.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.flyingcircusofphysics.com/" target="_blank">Main FCP site</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
Jearl Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14691325576191465053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29126953.post-50992356752532083212015-05-03T08:22:00.002-07:002015-05-03T08:22:28.512-07:00May 2015 stories at FCP + news of my new video series<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">My new video serie</b>s<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><span lang="EN" style="color: #141823; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">My school (Cleveland State University) and I have started
a new video series. Here is a link to the CSU YouTube channel where the first
video has been posted. New videos will appear about once a month. If you want
to subscribe to the channel so that you know when a new video has been posted,
use the subscribe button. This first video shows me dipping my fingers into
molten lead (about 750 degrees Fahrenheit). <br />
</span></span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChrOvC-DFkPNxKIxe-XKD3g"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Times New Roman;">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChrOvC-DFkPNxKIxe-XKD3g</span></span></a><span lang="EN" style="color: #141823; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="color: #141823; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6FNzxC0bPLk/VUY7rQIywNI/AAAAAAAAAck/qGzvFkEhzEU/s1600/Tesla%2Bcoil%2Bshot%2B(640x326).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6FNzxC0bPLk/VUY7rQIywNI/AAAAAAAAAck/qGzvFkEhzEU/s1600/Tesla%2Bcoil%2Bshot%2B(640x326).jpg" height="163" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong></strong></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong>Main FCP site for May 2015</strong></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">The May 2015 stories at the main FCP site: (1) tesla coils,
with music, including the Doctor Who theme. (2) self-righting of turtles and
the toy known as gomboc, which automatically finds its equilibrium point as
though it has a mind of its own. (3) a self-pouring teapot that is now a
collector’s item – you don’t need to pick it up and tilt it to get a cup of tea.
(4) pub trick – a self-righting bottle –<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>how to get a bottle that lies on its side to stand up (without use your
hands in any way). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<span lang="EN" style="color: #141823; mso-ansi-language: EN;"></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: small;"></span> </span><a href="http://www.flyingcircusofphysics.com/" target="_blank">FCP main site</a><br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChrOvC-DFkPNxKIxe-XKD3g" target="_blank">my new video series</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Flying-Circus-of-Physics/339329532602" target="_blank">FCP Facebook</a>Jearl Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14691325576191465053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29126953.post-12816629869219564762015-04-02T05:48:00.001-07:002015-04-02T05:48:07.885-07:00April 2015 stories at the main FCP site<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yT_uVKul57s/VR05yzos8eI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/sCMiy7TU7yo/s1600/Train%2Bassembly%2B(640x336).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yT_uVKul57s/VR05yzos8eI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/sCMiy7TU7yo/s1600/Train%2Bassembly%2B(640x336).jpg" height="168" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The April 2015 stories at the main FCP site: (1) I spent
many hours trying to work out the operation of this simplistic electric train
that only recently appeared on YouTube: Attach magnets at the two ends of a
common AA or AAA battery. Insert the assembly (the “train”) into a copper-wire
coil. The train shoots through the coil. If you make a loop out of the coil,
the train will shoot around the loop for hours. What in the world propels the
train? (2) Pour pepper onto salt. Can you then separate the two types of
grains? That is the pub challenge this month. (3) Whispering park benches --- a
friend whispers at one end of this long bench and you can then clearly hear the
words at the far end. This is the park version of the famous whispering gallery
of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. (4) When the flying bombs (V1) were sent
into England in World War II, some English pilots were able to disrupt the
gyroscopic guidance of the bombs by bring their wing down onto the flying
bomb’s wing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<a href="http://www.flyingcircusofphysics.com/" target="_blank">The Flying Circus of Physics</a>Jearl Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14691325576191465053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29126953.post-25260308756013587402015-03-01T10:29:00.000-08:002015-03-01T10:29:01.823-08:00March 2015 stories at the main FCP site<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wE6kt1dk5Uw/VPNZbhUhtNI/AAAAAAAAAbs/2oaAvAbVYA0/s1600/airplane%2Bpouring%2Bwater%2B(640x478).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wE6kt1dk5Uw/VPNZbhUhtNI/AAAAAAAAAbs/2oaAvAbVYA0/s1600/airplane%2Bpouring%2Bwater%2B(640x478).jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></div>
The FCP for March 2015 at the main site include: (1) Pouring water in an upside down jet --- the stream curves away from the ground. (2) Emperor penguins must form huddles of thousands in order to survive the harsh winter weather. (3) Why do people cheat at rail crossings when signals warn of an approaching train? Why do some people race to beat the train to the crossing? (4) Pub trick --- pouring water from nowhere. <a href="http://www.flyingcircusofphysics.com/" target="_blank">Flying Circus of Physics</a><br />Jearl Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14691325576191465053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29126953.post-44772790793789570632015-01-31T11:53:00.001-08:002015-01-31T11:53:57.521-08:00February 2015 stories at FCP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RknZrF5GLJg/VM0yCCk7jZI/AAAAAAAAAbY/Us7QdgRCrKc/s1600/Cafe%2BWall%2B1%2Bnext.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RknZrF5GLJg/VM0yCCk7jZI/AAAAAAAAAbY/Us7QdgRCrKc/s1600/Cafe%2BWall%2B1%2Bnext.JPG" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="PBT" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 11pt;">February 2015 stories at FCP: (1)
Café wall illusion --- an illusion of tilting first seen on the wall of a
Bristol café. (2) Overinflating a tire can result in a dramatic and possibly
fatal explosion. (3) Giant Lego towers have been built. What sets the limit to
the height? (4) Pub trick --- using thermal stress to open a wine bottle. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.flyingcircusofphysics.com/" target="_blank">FCP main site</a><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Flying-Circus-of-Physics/339329532602" target="_blank">FCP at Facebook</a>Jearl Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14691325576191465053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29126953.post-23344806490270615432015-01-02T07:56:00.001-08:002015-01-02T07:56:18.550-08:00January 2015 Flying Circus of Physics stories<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X7bjD_zzAPc/VKa-j-z1xuI/AAAAAAAAAa8/DjAqZJzuOjQ/s1600/Bull%2Briding%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X7bjD_zzAPc/VKa-j-z1xuI/AAAAAAAAAa8/DjAqZJzuOjQ/s1600/Bull%2Briding%2B2.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
January 2015 stories at the main FCP site: (1) Why does a gentle tap on the top of an open bottle of beer result in a dramatic eruption of foam? (2) Why physics might allow you to stay on the top of a bull? (3) The tragic collapse of a section of the Mianus Bridge was due to the suspension method and the torqueing by cars and trucks. (4) A simple demonstration of sliding fingers beneath a meter stick is a lesion in friction, torque, and center of mass. <a href="http://www.flyingcircusofphysics.com/" target="_blank">FCP main site</a>Jearl Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14691325576191465053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29126953.post-53428280780738994752014-11-30T18:15:00.000-08:002014-11-30T18:15:08.102-08:00FCP stories for December 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vcwvZbQVlV8/VHvOuEhVZVI/AAAAAAAAAas/WmOPa0uCuHM/s1600/Upward%2Bstream%2Bwoman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vcwvZbQVlV8/VHvOuEhVZVI/AAAAAAAAAas/WmOPa0uCuHM/s1600/Upward%2Bstream%2Bwoman.jpg" height="320" width="252" /></a></div>
<div class="PBT" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">December 2014 stories at
FCP: (1) Do you need a gift idea? Here is musical wineglass with the required
fill levels marked on the side for several of the musical notes. I use stout in
my glass and then rub the rim with a wet finger. Lovely. (And the music is good
too.) (2) Upward streamers in an electric storm is a little-known way that
someone can die, more likely that a direct hit by lightning. (3) Floaters in
your eye --- those little spots that float around in your field of view. (4) Techniques
for standing or walking in a strong, gusty wind --- they work sometimes but
frequently fail in amusing ways.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<a href="http://www.flyingcircusofphysics.com/" target="_blank">www.flyingcircusofphysics.com</a>Jearl Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14691325576191465053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29126953.post-13271888118461494542014-11-01T19:13:00.000-07:002014-11-01T19:13:12.324-07:00FCP stories for November 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8D_T6lGU_f8/VFWSrPbiC3I/AAAAAAAAAac/SFaPP4foFvE/s1600/Water%2BWow%2BOlive.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8D_T6lGU_f8/VFWSrPbiC3I/AAAAAAAAAac/SFaPP4foFvE/s1600/Water%2BWow%2BOlive.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">November 2014 stories at the FCP main site: (1) The
traditional physics demonstration of a ball moving through a vertical
loop-the-loop has graduated to real-life examples involving waterslides,
motorcycles, skateboards, and cars. It has now been done by someone simply
running into the loop! (2) The hula hoop toy has also graduated into beautiful
dance routines and not-so-beautiful hooping with a heavy truck tire. (3) Some
materials become semitransparent when wet, which has now been employed in
children’s coloring books. My granddaughter Olive is using one in the photo.
(4) Pub trick: somehow getting a spoon into a mug without picking either up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<a href="http://www.flyingcircusofphysics.com/" target="_blank">main FCP site</a>Jearl Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14691325576191465053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29126953.post-3728413013785950952014-09-30T19:23:00.000-07:002014-09-30T19:23:38.697-07:00October at the main FCP site<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ex0Tr2HR-L4/VCtlCjbJ_7I/AAAAAAAAAaM/V0tFy8J0jmU/s1600/Nimitz%2BFreeway%2B001%2B(480x442).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ex0Tr2HR-L4/VCtlCjbJ_7I/AAAAAAAAAaM/V0tFy8J0jmU/s1600/Nimitz%2BFreeway%2B001%2B(480x442).jpg" height="294" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">October stories at the main FCP site: (1) As a
World Series game was to begin in 1989 in Oakland, seismic waves hit the area.
Part of the Nimitz Freeway collapsed, with an upper deck falling onto a lower
deck. But the rest of the freeway did not collapse even though the design was
similar. What happened? (2) Pub trick: several more ways of opening a wine
bottle without a corkscrew. You know, when you suddenly need a drink while
trapped in a hotel room after the hotel bar has closed. (3) The physics that
explains the warmth in a greenhouse also explains why children die when left in
a closed car in sunlight. While I was writing this story, CNN published yet
another story about a child left in a closed car. (4) Friction welding, in
which two metal surfaces are rubbed together hard enough to melt the surfaces,
so as to form a bond between them when they then cool. </span><a href="http://www.flyingcircusofphysics.com/" target="_blank">Main FCP site</a>Jearl Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14691325576191465053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29126953.post-6773443211572990942014-09-02T18:49:00.000-07:002014-09-02T18:49:35.958-07:00Sep 2014 stories at the FCP site<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sLttp0ukeDg/VAZzIkzjO7I/AAAAAAAAAZ8/wdEyCLzPfMQ/s1600/Dead%2Blift%2B(480x276).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sLttp0ukeDg/VAZzIkzjO7I/AAAAAAAAAZ8/wdEyCLzPfMQ/s1600/Dead%2Blift%2B(480x276).jpg" height="184" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">September 2014 stories at the main FCP site: (1) Physics for
the first date --- wintergreen flashes. (2) A new record for a deadlift power
lifting, but an astounding old lifting record still stands. (3) Pub trick --- a
mathematical way to fix a wobbly pub table. (4) When you heat a room, the total
energy of the air does not change. So, why then do you feel warmer? ALSO: I
have greatly expanded the index at the FCP site. The red links take you to
stories at the web site. The blue links take you to the references and Youtube
sites for the stories in the paper book. You will find links for individual
terms but also for collections of related items, such “Pub physics,” “Accidents,”
“Art,” and “Closet, physics to do in a.” (Well, I am still working on that one
--- I like closets. The motto for FCP is that “Physics is everywhere,”
including closets.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<a href="http://www.flyingcircusofphysics.com/" target="_blank">main FCP site</a>Jearl Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14691325576191465053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29126953.post-41951569892865012832014-07-31T15:12:00.001-07:002014-07-31T15:12:48.570-07:00FCP stories for August 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1aXMs3lFQTU/U9q9lpmKTmI/AAAAAAAAAZs/B0_FiZB-f0Q/s1600/Big+Bang+Cow+tipping+(800x539).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1aXMs3lFQTU/U9q9lpmKTmI/AAAAAAAAAZs/B0_FiZB-f0Q/s1600/Big+Bang+Cow+tipping+(800x539).jpg" height="215" width="320" /></a></div>
The August stories at the main FCP site: (1) cow tipping, real or fictitious? Here you see Sheldon arguing that it is fictitious and, as you know, he is right about everything. (2) Crooke's radiometer --- does it rotate because of pressure from light or because of a thermo effect? (3) The ouzo effect, in which water added to ouzo dramatically transforms the alcoholic liquid from being transparent to being milky white. (4) Shooting a rifle bullet into a wood block --- a very popular video skillfully lures us into a violation of the law of conservation of energy.<a href="http://www.flyingcircusofphysics.com/" target="_blank">FCP main site</a>Jearl Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14691325576191465053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29126953.post-21127314013446081732014-07-01T19:22:00.001-07:002014-07-01T19:38:24.813-07:00July 2014 stories at the main FCP site<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="PBT" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span class="PBN"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The July stories at FCP: (1) The physics of surfing and avoiding a wipeout. (2) Take off your glasses or contacts and look through a small opening in order to read clearly. (3) Pole climbing, both the standard way used to repair overhead lines and a novel way to get up a palm tree. (4) Pub trick --- set a matchstick on fire and watch it leap upwards. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<a href="http://www.flyingcircusofphysics.com/" target="_blank">FCP main site</a>Jearl Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14691325576191465053noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29126953.post-81396985007149151132014-06-02T12:54:00.001-07:002014-06-02T12:55:48.004-07:00FCP stories for June 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" closure_lm_118795="null" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YODH9Kcm0v8/U4zUIGf-kbI/AAAAAAAAAY8/UFyjW8QL3S4/s1600/Toast+crop.jpg" height="146" lta="true" width="320" /></div>
June stories at FCP: (1) If a slice of toast slides off a table, why does it always end up jelly-side down? (2) On a traditional roller coaster, which gives a more frightening ride, the first car or the last car? I do a calculation to get the answer. (3) The church Saint-Sulpice in Paris has an obelisk and a long brass strip to mark a meridian. A spot of light passes over the meridian at solar noon each day, and through the year, the passage point moves along the obelisk or along the strip. (4) In the pub, how can you tell if the eggs on the counter are fresh or hard-boiled? <br />
<a href="http://www.flyingcircusofphysics.com/">www.flyingcircusofphysics.com</a><br />
<br />Jearl Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14691325576191465053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29126953.post-90253500357591730332014-05-01T10:01:00.000-07:002014-05-01T10:01:13.542-07:00May 2014 stories at Flying Circus of Physics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SqIwJK7wu8o/U2J6zECk4zI/AAAAAAAAAYs/L9SboDbTy0w/s1600/Captures+crop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SqIwJK7wu8o/U2J6zECk4zI/AAAAAAAAAYs/L9SboDbTy0w/s1600/Captures+crop.jpg" height="304" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The May 2014 stories: (1) The sound of a dinosaur is reproduced from a replica of the long nasal passage that functions like a horn. This is as close as you will get to a real dinosaur. (2) How vibrating guitar strings look to a cell-phone video camera that lies within the guitar. (3) Moose-vehicle collisions in Alaska are so common that they have their own abbreviation for police reports: MVC. (4) Pub trick: how to open a wine bottle with a shoe.<br />
<a href="http://www.flyingcircusofphysics.com/" target="_blank">main Flying Circus of Physics site</a> <br />
Also: new bed-of-nails photos from the last class day in my first-semester physics course:<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Flying-Circus-of-Physics/339329532602" target="_blank">Facebook FCP</a>Jearl Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14691325576191465053noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29126953.post-72513070596262615312014-04-01T18:16:00.000-07:002014-04-01T18:16:31.631-07:00April stories at The Flying Circus of Physics site<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6pQZrKIBwWE/Uztkdi9pDoI/AAAAAAAAAYc/6LhH4INJ_AU/s1600/Gurney+a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_lm_266239="null" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6pQZrKIBwWE/Uztkdi9pDoI/AAAAAAAAAYc/6LhH4INJ_AU/s1600/Gurney+a.jpg" height="247" uta="true" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="PBT" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span class="PBN"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">The April stories at the FCP site: (1) The case of the hospital gurneys that would burst into flames. (Ironically, they were holding burn victims.) (2) Novel ways of opening a beer bottle without the normal bottle opener, involving levers and brute force. (Next month, a novel way of opening a wine bottle without a corkscrew. If you have already seen the video, the challenge is to explain the physics.) (3) The collisions of two ships offers a lesson in torques. (4) Rogue waves are rare freak waves that can break a ship apart. Recently a video-recorded rogue killed a passenger on a cruise linear.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<a href="http://www.flyingcircusofphysics.com/" target="_blank">www.flyingcircusofphysics.com</a>Jearl Walkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14691325576191465053noreply@blogger.com0