Yearly Archives: 2013

Q: Using modern technology, are we any closer to turning lead into gold than alchemists were hundreds of years ago?

The original question was: With the current technology, it is possible now to transmute lead into gold, or whatever element into another? What transmutations should have tried the ancient Alchemist instead of the famous lead-gold one, in order to find … Continue reading

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Particle Physics, Physics | 21 Comments

Q: How do you turn/change directions in space?

Physicist: There’s more to this than you might think.  If you’ve seen a movie involving spaceships of any kind, then you’ve probably seen the wrong answer.  We’re used to thinking about airplanes (flying through the air) and walking (on the … Continue reading

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Physics | 19 Comments

Q: If a man hangs on an un-insulated wire using both his hands what will happen and why?

Physicist: Just a quick note before answering this; hanging off of power lines holds a special place simultaneously in both in the Very Long List of Stupid Things to Do and the Somewhat Shorter List of Last Things to Ever … Continue reading

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Physics | 28 Comments

Learning intro number theory

Physicist: We occasionally get questions about free learning resources.  Khan academy is excellent, and if you poke around you can find a smattering of free class notes and text books, but generally speaking the more more detailed/advanced the material, the … Continue reading

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Brain Teaser, Math, Number Theory | 5 Comments

Q: Is the Alcubierre warp drive really possible? How close are we to actually building one and going faster than light?

The original question was: Is this f’real? Astronomer: The Alcubierre spacetime metric is named after a Miguel Alcubierre, a physicist who was also a Star Trek fan. It describes a type of bubble in space, where you could put, for … Continue reading

Posted in -- By the Physicist, -- Guest Author, Physics, Relativity | 59 Comments

Q: Is darkness a wave the way light is a wave? What is the speed of dark?

Physicist: The very short answer is no: darkness is not a wave.  There are no waves in the dark for very much the same reason that there’s no surfing (or ocean waves) in Death Valley.  Darkness, being an absence of … Continue reading

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Philosophical, Physics | 41 Comments