Mathematical theory describing the problem of four-legged wobbly tables stretches back at least as far as 2005, when a paper on the subject of “The Intuitive Table ‘Theorem’ “, was published in the journal Viniculum. [subscribers only] The theorem ran thus: “By rotating a square table over uneven ground, you can ensure that all four […]
Tag: unstable
Earth: A small chance to win a big trip
Adding to our knowledge that the residents of planet earth are unstable, Jacques Laskar (pictured here) and Mickael Gastineau of the Observatoire de Paris calculate that so, too, is our planet’s residency in the solar system. Thanks to an instability in the entire system, we could all win a big trip to far-off places. Details […]