Physics Buzz Blog
 

On the Front Line of Movie Making
Friday, January 20, 2017
With a new camera system, researchers at Washington University in St. Louis can capture 100 billion frames per second in a single shot. This record-breaking design won’t improve the quality of your YouTube uploads (even very high speed video cameras .. more

Scientists Make One Extremely Cold Drum
Wednesday, January 18, 2017
I’m on my second Minnesota winter and it’s cold. On really cold days, your eyelashes can freeze and baby wipes become a useless block of ice if you leave them in the car. It’s pretty extreme, in my mind. All of this is put in perspective though, by n.. more



Physics in Action

 
A machine the size of a single molecule? This year's Nobel prize in chemistry went to the people who made it possible!

Molecular Machinery Snags 2016 Nobel in Chemistry

A machine the size of a single molecule? This year's Nobel prize in chemistry went to the people who made it possible!


By

Dressed to Impress: Attraction Between Electrons

By "dressing" the potential of electrons, researchers have taken what may be a big step toward room-temperature superconductivity!


Japan's new X-ray satellite was lost in an accident a month after its launch. What did we learn in that month?

Hitomi, An Ambitious Endeavor Cut Short

Japan's Hitomi X-ray Observatory was lost in an accident just a month after launch. What did we learn in that month?

Physics in Pictures

 
The winners of this year's

Making Art from Materials Science

Check out the winners of the Materials Research Society's 2016 "Science as Art" competition!


Light refracts through an empty glass to produce a rainbow of color

Dispersion Reveals Coffee at the End of the Rainbow

Dispersion through a glass splits light into its component colors.


There's something amiss about this prismatic rainbow—can you spot it?

ROYGBIV...B?

There's something amiss about this prismatic rainbow—can you spot it?

Physics +

 
Sometimes, all it takes to unlock ancient secrets is to look at the problem in a new light.

Examining Hidden Text in a New Light

Sometimes, all it takes to unlock ancient secrets is to look at the problem in a new light.


Scientists are developing greener and cheaper technologies to pave our way to a solar energy future.

Here Comes the Sun

Scientists are developing greener and cheaper ways to pave our way to a solar energy future.


A new, food-safe superhydrophobic coating could make shaking the ketchup bottle a thing of the past.

To the Last Drop: Getting the Most Out of Liquid Containers

New, food-safe superhydrophobics could make shaking the ketchup bottle a thing of the past.

Physics@Home

 
Learn about the structure of metals as you use a paper clip to turn mechanical work into heat!

Paper Clip Heat

Learn about the structure of metals as you use a paper clip to turn mechanical work into heat!


Hot Cocoa Effect

Instant Physics: The Hot Cocoa Effect

A fun and tasty home experiment for the holidays


Inverted Wineglass Harp

Inverted Wineglass Harp

A new take on a musical physics classic


Podcasts
 

Drag Racing Cubesats with NASA's CubeQuest Challenge
December 23, 2016
In this edition of the PhysicsCentral podcast, we hear from a few teams who are still in the running for the CubeQuest Challenge: a contest for homegrown teams to build their own small satellites — cubesats — and compete against each other by demonstrating technological feats. Five million dollars in prize money will be divided among teams who can get into orbit around the moon, maintain a stable orbit for a long time, or make it almost all the way to Mars’ orbit while still communicating with Earth.

Star-chaeology: The Next (Stellar) Generation
April 28, 2016
Join Dr. Anna Frebel and PhysicsCentral podcast host Meg Rosenburg in a search for the oldest stars in the universe!

Of Ice Cores & Isotopes
March 31, 2016
Ice cores contain air bubbles that have been encased for close to a million years! Find out what we can learn from this ancient oxygen in this week's PhysicsCentral podcast!

The Truth About Gravitational Waves
February 22, 2016
Host Meg Rosenburg journeys to the Hanford observatory for an exclusive interview with one of the scientists behind LIGO's detection of gravitational waves!

Podcast Archive

PhysicsQuest

Spectra's Sonic Surprise

Click here to register for your free PhysicsQuest kit!

Registration is now open for PhysicsQuest: Spectra's Sonic Surprise!

Spectra and her gang are in for some big surprises this year leading up to the big Valentine's Day dance. It seems that Lucy isn't the only one to mysteriously gain powers in this town—this time Kas is in for quite the shock! Your students will learn about sound and vibrations as they follow Spectra's adventures. Register now for your FREE KIT! Hurry because registration is limited and fills quickly.

If you would like to purchase past PhysicsQuest kits, that can be done here. If you'd like to download past manuals or comics and create your own kits, that can be done through links on the About PhysicsQuest page.

SpectraSnapp

SpectraSnapp

Create your own spectroscope with our free iPhone/Ipad app: SpectraSnapp. Now you can see the spectral lines behind the fluorescent lights, neon signs, sodium lamps, and other light sources you encounter everyday!

Comic Books

Click to Read Physics Comics

Read all of our physics comic books online, and follow the adventures of Spectra, the original laser superhero.

Science off the Sphere

Science off the Sphere

Astronaut and chemist Dr. Don Pettit did physics demos that are out of this world while he was aboard the International Space Station. Now you can enjoy videos of his fantastic micro-gravity experiments safely on the surface!

Watch the Videos

Physics Stuff

View & Order Physics Stuff

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Spectra Sound

Purchase Posters, Spectra Sound, Tshirts and More in the APS Store.

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Resources for Educators

PhysicsCentral runs programs for all ages with the goal of making physics fun and interesting for everyone. From coloring books to at home experiments we have something perfect for you and your students to enjoy. 

Resources for Educators