Einstein is known for reshaping our conception of space and time and showing that this involved a re-imagining of gravity. This set the stage for the field of General Relativity, a field of physics that is still vigorously researched today. This only scratches the surface as to his contributions. He, for example, was the first
What comes to mind when you think about the word “physics?†You probably see yourself sitting in your high school or college Intro Physics course trying to memorize what seemed to be pointless equations and relationships between variables. For example, the good ole' F=ma. Many of us know these basic physical principles referred to as
Curious about how rockets get into the sky? Join Graham as he discusses the origins of rocket engines and the history behind the technology that is still in use today. [soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/289960354″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”450″ iframe=”true” /] Sources: Robert Goddard, Goddard's Experiments, Scott Manley's Rocket Plumbing Image Credit: RS-25 engine test (for NASA’s New Rocket) By NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center Flickr: https://flic.kr/p/qsyGca (No
Outer space is pretty weird. Ask anyone who has ever heard of a black hole or seen the movie Interstellar, and they are bound to agree. But those points of light we see in the night sky, the stars we have been admiring for our whole lives, those seem more accessible to us. I mean,
What if I told you that the flow of time is an illusion due to our limited consciousness and that the only true distinction between the past and the future is the presence of heat? You might call me crazy. However, it turns out that while the flow of time is obviously an essential part
[soundcloud url=”https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/262628478″ params=”auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true” width=”100%” height=”150″ iframe=”true” /] Normally the scientific community takes a stab at making science fiction a reality. But, science fiction took a page from science this time around. Learn about how the ion engines of Star Wars work in reality and how it is enabling space exploration, like never before. Links: CubeSat Podcast, Saturn
By strategically eating a single spaghetti noodle, you can make it last forever. Let me explain.Suppose you take a string of spaghetti, cut it into thirds, and eat the middle section; repeating over and over with the remaining sections. It won’t make a particularly substantial meal- the pieces you eat will quickly become infinitely small-
On March 1st, astronaut Scott Kelly returned to Earth after 340 days aboard the International Space Station (ISS). But why was he even up there for so long in the first place? What is the ISS? According to NASA, the ISS is a “convergence of science, technology, and human innovation that demonstrates new technologies and
Satellites are often thought to be large and needing millions of dollars to be built. But, can citizen science change that notion with CubeSats? Join Graham Grable as he discusses the potential for using citizen scientists and CubeSats to increase research. To learn more about the Kepler satellite, listen to the project manager for Kepler,
By Paige Copenhaver On February 11th, scientists from the Laser Interferometer Gravitational Wave Observatory (LIGO) announced the first ever detection of gravitational waves. Analogous to ripples caused by throwing a rock into a pond, gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of spacetime caused by the acceleration of massive objects in space. The collision of
The reality of a man-made colony in space is becoming more plausible every year. Both private industry and government institutions are combining their collective genius to tackle the substantial engineering challenges associated with building human habitats on these completely alien environments. Many see space colonization as inevitable, like homesteading the American West with a twist;
