Physics

1939 ‘Map of Physics’

So cool. Click through for higher rez. “Being a map of physics, containing a brief historical outline of the subject as will be of interest to physicists, students, laymen at large; Also giving a description of the land of physics as seen by the daring sould who venture there; And more particularly the location of […]

EEG-Actuated Watermelon Exploder

EEG-Actuated Watermelon Exploder

Chris Cprek of Louisville’s LVL1 hackerspace demonstrates a EEG-controlled machine that blows up watermelons. Brad and I created Mind over Melon. Ever since I was a boy, I’ve dreamed of exploding things with my mind. At LVL1, we now have the technology to make this dream come true. Using a hacked Star Wars Force Trainer, […]

Text Tool: Eight Amazing Engineering Stories

Regular readers will probably recognize Bill Hammack’s name, by now, and require no introduction to him or his work. Engineer Guy series #4 is the first to include a companion book. Bill sent me a copy of Eight Amazing Engineering Stories back in May, shortly after the first video in the new series came out, and I read it more-or-less as intended, following along with each of its eight chapters as the corresponding videos were released.

Engineer Guy vs. The Lead-Acid Battery

Engineer Guy vs. The Lead-Acid Battery

Here, friends and neighbors, is the eighth and final video of Engineer Guy series #4. The element of the week is called ‘plumbum’ in Latin, abbreviated to ‘Pb’ on the periodic table, and generally known as ‘lead.’ Formed into electrodes with its oxide and submerged in sulfuric acid, lead is an essential component in the ignition batteries that start cars and other gas-powered vehicles.

Happy Higgs Boson Day!

Happy Higgs Boson Day!

A tachyon walks into a bar. The bartender says “Hey buddy, not so fast.” Happy 4th of July, everybody!  I celebrated today along with the rest of America: by hanging out with friends, throwing some meat on the grill, and discussing the breaking (and long-awaited) discovery of a Higgs Boson particle. The discovery is touted […]

Engineer Guy vs. The Atomic Bomb

Engineer Guy vs. The Atomic Bomb

One of the great treats of my chemistry education at UT-Austin was having the original gaseous diffusion process for enriching uranium explained to me by a man who worked on the Manhattan Project to implement it, the late great Dr. Norman Hackerman. Bill treats it just as well, and goes on to cover the details of the more modern gas centrifuge process.