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The World's Fair

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profile.gif David Ng is Director of the Advanced Molecular Biology Laboratory at the University of British Columbia - this is a just a fancier way of calling himself a science teacher.

profile.gifBenjamin Cohen is an Asst. Professor of Science, Tech., and Society at the University of Virginia. He studies the place of S & T in environmental history, policy, and ethics. He also writes other stuff.

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« When the leaders of the G8 meet on Halloween Day | Main | A paradigm shift: the role of storytelling in the pursuit of understanding things like global issues? »

In time for halloween. Learning to fly (as in throwing yourself against the ground and missing)

Category: Humor stuff, and in the best of worlds, science humor stuff
Posted on: October 31, 2007 1:54 PM, by David Ng

This might be handy, if you happen to be dressed up as a ghost or flying superhero or bat, etc - the SCQ has a piece up today, that goes over the physics of learning to fly, a la Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. In other words, the piece takes a look at some of the Newtonian physics needed to "throw yourself at the ground and miss."

weeesplat.jpg

It's quite well done, because it goes through the premise a single concept at a time (the above image for instance noting how to do it to fly for 1 second, and noting the caveat that since you accelerate as you fall, you need some more thinking to work out how to fly "indefinitely."

Anyway, worth a look.

As well, note that today is the last day to submit a question for Bill Hick, the Science Prick, and possibly win a great children's book (we've only received about 15 questions, but odds are good).

Comments

This might be eligible for funding in the alternative fuels arena. Would certainly cut down on carbon emmissions. (I'm thinking of giant catapults...)

Posted by: jenjen | October 31, 2007 2:36 PM

Well if you're into giant catapults...

Posted by: Timon | November 1, 2007 9:43 AM

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