Inventor Vern Ader has just been granted (Aug 10th 2021) a full US patent for his ‘Centrifugal Bed Rotator’. The new invention is a progressive development of his Gym & Rehabilitation System Designed for Space – in that it can centrifuge not just one, but two people at the same time. The present invention provides […]
Tag: spin
The mystery of the whirly tube’s missing fundamental mode [study]
The musical instrument shown above is known by various names e.g. the whirly tube, the corrugaphone, the bloogle resonator, the voice of the dragon, the hummer, and even, according to American composer (and parodist) Peter Schickele the “Lasso d’Amore”. For acousticians, it’s noteworthy because the fundamental acoustic mode, that’s to say the note that one […]
A phony force experiment, revolving around children
Centrifugal force, which is (technically) a phony force, is at the center of this experiment about spinning children. The video presentation is of the sort known as “spinning a yarn”: (Thanks to investigator Laura Bassett for bringing this to our attention)
Shuttlecock aerodynamics : part 4 : an enigma
The 16 feathers traditionally used to construct traditional shuttlecocks are normally organised in an overlapping spiral arrangement. As a result, the shuttlecock tends to whirl in flight, adding spin-stability to what would otherwise be a more haphazard trajectory. But raising the question, in which direction should it rotate? The Badminton World Federation (which oversees international […]
The “Cracking the Egg Sprinkler Mystery” video
Flora Lichtman’s video shows how two scientists connected eggs and milk to produce a pump. The video uses other, better ways to describe the situation. Click on the image, and be whisked to the Science Friday web site, to see the video: Some background info, from Science Friday: When engineer Tadd Truscott was in grad […]
How to (try to) stop a machine
This video documents an unplanned experiment in engineering and human nature. Workers at a construction site contemplate how to arrest a machine that will not stop spinning. Then more workers join in the contemplation… (Thanks to investigator Ralph Enders for bringing this to our attention.) BONUS: Researchers at the University of Minnesota physics department write, […]
A hammer thrower’s take on the Ig-winning research
Hammer thrower Martin Bissinger writes about the study that earned the 2011 Ig Nobel Prize in physics: Hammer Throw Research Wind Ig Nobel Prize As a hammer thrower, you get used to answering the same questions over and over from coworkers and onlookers. Away from training most people always ask “Do you throw, like, a […]
Kissing Games of Adolescents in Ohio
The history of studies of kissing games of adolescents in the American state of Ohio reached its first high point in 1959, with the publication of: “The Kissing Games of Adolescents in Ohio,” Brian Sutton-Smith, Midwest Folklore, vol. 9, 1959, pp. 189-211.
Europe’s walking washing machines
For many years, Europe’s washing machines tended to walk across a room, while America’s did not. Daniel Conrad and Werner Soedel explained why, in a study called On the Problem of Oscillatory Walk of Automatic Washing Machines. Their explanation was recognised by authority figures for its power to inspire youths. Conrad and Soedel, based at […]