August 29, 2008
Category: education
I teach classes. I ask questions in class. I wait for answers. All faculty do this, so who cares. If you are in a class or teaching a class, how long do you wait for someone to answer your question? Well, I asked two questions of my class this week.
1. Estimate how long I wait when I ask you questions.
2. How long should you (ideally) wait in a class for someone to answer?
Here is the data I gathered: (and I will tell you how long I actually wait)
Read on »
Posted by Rhett Allain at 1:45 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
August 28, 2008
Category: physics
I recently saw a comment on a blog somewhere about putting satellites into space (I think it was from a post about a rocket that blew up). The poster suggested using a giant catapult to put things in space instead of rockets. Maybe he or she was kidding, or maybe not. But I have heard this idea before. Would it work?
Read on »
Posted by Rhett Allain at 4:45 PM • 20 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
August 27, 2008
Category: physics
Maybe you can tell I am watching the MythBuster's Moon Special. In the show, the MythBusters go in a plane to reproduce the gravitational forces on the moon. I previously went over this, so here is the link:
Read on »
Posted by Rhett Allain at 10:13 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: physics
Clearly the MythBusters did this before I did (it's just airing tonight though). I just wanted to say that I posted some videos of the Apollo "jump salute" video analysis and also sped it up to "Earth-like" accelerations. I then made a video of my daughter doing the same thing on Earth and slowed it down. Yes, the MythBusters did it better, but I just wanted to say "me too". My analysis is here:
Read on »
Posted by Rhett Allain at 9:39 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
August 26, 2008
Category: physics
*heat:* a nonmechanical energy transfer with reference to a temperature difference between a system and its surroundings or between two parts of the same system.
This definition is fine. It is not wrong, but is it needed? Not really. Couldn't we just say energy transfer? Actually, I like to use this in the following equation:
Read on »
Posted by Rhett Allain at 3:35 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: physics
I know the olympics are basically over. Really, I should have posted this earlier. Anyway, the gymnastics feat that always impresses me is the Iron Cross (I think that is what it is called). I know you have seen this, but here is a picture from wikipedia:
Read on »
Posted by Rhett Allain at 11:02 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
August 25, 2008
Category: physics
Dear RapidWeaver, What did I do to you? I like you, I really do - but this is why we broke up. It's not you, it's me. No wait, it's you. I am looking back through my old dotphys posts...
Read on »
Posted by Rhett Allain at 8:49 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
August 24, 2008
Category: science
I can't believe there is still all this talk about what to call Pluto. Can't we just move on? In an effort to help, I have summoned the Zombie Feynman to get his words on the subject. This is what he said:
Read on »
Posted by Rhett Allain at 1:49 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
August 23, 2008
As you may or may not have noticed, I have been using RapidWeaver for my blogging posts. (if you don't know what that is, it doesn't matter) Anyway, I think my stuff was getting a little too big for that...
Read on »
Posted by Rhett Allain at 11:31 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Rhett Allain is an Associate Professor of Physics at Southeastern Louisiana University. He
enjoys teaching and talking about physics. Sometimes he takes things apart and can't
put them back together.
