Physics Buzz

We're right in the middle of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, so for this week's podcast I decided to talk to Physics Central's resident snowboarding expert, James Riordon (also known as Buzz Skyline), about the physics behind this awesome sport.  Go listen to it! You can also read Buzz's post about the 1440 Triple Cork right  here . There is a TON of physics in the winter Olympic games and you can learn all about it via this amazing video series produced by the National Science Foundation and NBC. There's a series about engineering in the Olympics as well.

Our world is filled with different light sources: fluorescent office lights, sodium street lamps, and bright neon lights to name a few. Now you can see all of the emission spectra of these light sources with our new iPhone app: SpectraSnapp . Did I mention that it's free? Remember those flame tests from high school chemistry class? You would burn a specific element — such as copper or sodium — and each element would burn with a different color. For instance, sodium burns with an intense yellow flame while lithium will burn red. These characteristic colors emerge because every element or chemical compound has its own emission spectrum. When an atom's electrons are excited, it will emit photons of specific wavelengths. Atoms emit photons of various energies when electrons are excited from one energy level to another. The magnitude of the energy jump for the electrons determines the energy — and subsequent color — of the emitted photons. Using an instrument known as a spectr

Many science enthusiasts would agree that Nikola Tesla ranks among the greatest underdog heroes in the history of science. His story, particularly his acrimonious relationship with Thomas Edison, has resonated with many. But there's currently no museum in the United States to celebrate Tesla's great scientific achievements. Serbia's capital, Belgrade, hosts the most comprehensive Tesla museum -- a fitting location because Tesla's parents hailed from Serbia. But Tesla spent most of his career in the United States and eventually became a citizen in 1891. Also, he reportedly considered his U.S. citizenship to be more important than his scientific successes. So why don't we have a museum for him here? That's what Matthew Inman, the creator of the popular Oatmeal webcomic asked (note: In addition to being a big Tesla fan, Inman has a penchant for swearing). So he's decided to help a non-profit organization buy the land surrounding Tesla's last laborat

Depending on your location, tomorrow or Wednesday will be your last chance to see Venus pass in front of the Sun for 105 years. There will be a number of watching events across the U.S. tomorrow afternoon and evening, ranging from neighborhood parties to astronomy club viewings. But you can't look directly at the sun without the right kind of protection, and there's a number of ways to witness this rare astronomical event while preserving your sight. Venus will transit the sun the evening of June 5 for most North American viewers. Other global viewers will see the transit on June 6. Image courtesy NASA

This video has been making the rounds throughout the blogosphere, and with good reason. It's pretty fantastic.

There is not even anything to say! They said it all! Thank you video! You are amazing! And there are a bunch more where that came from . Happy weekend!