physics

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The Secret Life of Machines

I have fond memories of watching The Secret Life of Machines on The Discovery Channel in the early 90's -- back in the days when the channel was mostly about sharks and David Attenborough films. The Secret Life of Machines was written and presented by Tim Hunkin (with assistance from Rex Garrod) and broadcast in the UK in the late 80's and early 90's. The show was like an early version of MythBusters, minus the myths, and with more quirky animation. It was all about machines -- how they work, how to... READ ON

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Firefighting Beetles, Polite Phones and Even More Polite Primates

Superdad Every roving bachelor has the fear that he's got a son out there. But hey, it could be worse. Just look at Genghis Khan, who spawned enough children that he is now related to 16 million men in Central Asia. The great warrior was legendary for having his way with women, but the scope of his exploits was never fully realized until now. A team of geneticists studying Asian men found that a number of them had similar DNA, which they managed to pin on Khan. From this they realized that 1 in... READ ON

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Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Scientist: Edward Lorenz

I found Edward Lorenz while doing some research on chaos theory for an upcoming m_f article. Who would have thought the guy who gave us one of the thorniest fields in all science was actually a glorified weatherman? Here's what I wrote: "Chaos theory got started with a computer simulation of the weather, albeit one that didn't work. In the early '60s, a meteorologist named Edward Lorenz came up with 12 equations describing temperature, air pressure, and so on, and programmed them into a... READ ON

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Help Stephen Hawking (and get paid!)

CNN is reporting that wheelchair-bound physics genius Stephen Hawking is looking for some hired help. Apparently, the job description reads: "Bright graduate student to assist world-famous scientist. International travel, developing computer systems and dealing with the press required." And while the pay is in the mid-$40,000s (you'd think Hawking would have a bit more in the bank for some good help), it certainly beats waiting tables -- at least if you're really into physics. Click here for more... READ ON

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Artificial intelligence, indeed

Here at mental_floss, we do love all things Einstein, so I couldn't resist posting this great video of his doppelganger from Hanson Robotics, who walks, talks, and makes amazingly realistic facial expressions. (As far as I know, the robot has not yet formulated a Unified Field Theory.) For comparison, here's the real thing: Thanks,... READ ON

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Nobel Pursuits Redux

Some time ago, I wrote about the Nobel Prize (highlights include the following trivia: 1. Despite twelve nominations between 1937 and 1948, Mahatma Gandhi was never awarded one, and, perhaps just as curious, 2. The backside of the actual medal depicts three naked men embracing with private parts exposed). Today, however, noble history of a different kind will be made as Frank Wilczek, MIT physics professor and winner of the Nobel Prize in 2004, sings the lead role in the Austrian premiere of the... READ ON