Physics Buzz

What Stresses Gorilla Glass Makes It Stronger
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Theory tackles how glass remembers earlier forces. Alterations to the usual glass production process, such as putting the material under stress, can introduce effects that linger even after the material hardens. While manufacturers have long ... more

How to Sell a Particle Accelerator: Positron-Electron Love Explosions
Monday, May 20, 2013
While the discoveries and excitement surrounding the LHC have started to cool down, a new contender in particle physics is emerging. Over 2000 scientists are currently working on one of two competing particle accelerator proposals: the International Line... more

A Carbon Signature Revealed
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Imagine diving into the placid surface of a painting by Vermeer, parsing apart Klimt's bejeweled surfaces, or untangling Jackson Pollock's knots of paint. Art historians, collectors, and restoration scholars have long sought to uncover the methods of gre... more

Mosh Pit Mechanics, Chattering Gazelles, and Bouncing Baby Shampoo
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Physics Phun in the Phorthcoming Physical Review What do gabby gazelles, mosh pits and jumping shampoo jets have in common? They're all covered in upcoming Physical Review papers. (This image is a mash up of pictures from Wikimedia Commons. Details an... more

PODCAST: Red Rover
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Basic Books This week on the Physics Central podcast we're talking about an awesome new book called Red Rover: Robotic Space Exploration from Genesis to the Mars Rover. The book's author Roger Wiens talks with us about his career working on robots tha... more

Physics of Bubbles: supercomputer needed.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
It took one of the world's most powerful supercomputers five days to model a simple childhood past time: popping bubbles. Image credit: Andreas Bastian Researchers at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and at the University of California Berke... more

Dancing on the Ceiling
Monday, May 13, 2013
While choreographed dances are bound by the laws of physics, certain tricks can make the seemingly impossible a reality. In the video below, you can see two dancers walking on walls, dancing on ceilings, and adapting to changes in the direction of gravit... more