Category Archives: Physics

Q: What did Einstein mean by: “Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater.”

Posted on December 9, 2009 by The Physicist

Albert Einstein: “Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater.” Mathematician: It is impossible to know precisely what Einstein meant by this quote without being able to ask him. It is often … Continue reading →

Posted in -- By the Mathematician, -- By the Physicist, -- Guest Author, Philosophical, Physics | 61 Comments

Q: Why does saliva boil in the vacuum of space?

Posted on December 6, 2009 by The Physicist

Physicist: This is my new favorite question.  Blood, saliva, lymph, and whatever’s in your eyeballs (eyeball fluid?) all boil in space because they’re all basically water.  Both liquids and gases are made up of molecules that fly about at random, … Continue reading →

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Physics | 3 Comments

Q: Can things really be in two places at the same time?

Posted on December 6, 2009 by The Physicist

Physicist: Yuppers. The classic example is Young’s Double Slit experiment. When coherent light is shined on two slits, then the image that’s projected on the final screen exhibits interference patterns (because light is a wave, of course).  Back in the … Continue reading →

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Quantum Theory | 17 Comments

Q: Why?

Posted on December 2, 2009 by The Mathematician

Mathematician: From time to time, people like asking us questions such as “Why?”, while steadfastly refusing to explain what the heck they are talking about. The best example of this was a naked guy who approached our “Ask a Mathematician … Continue reading →

Posted in -- By the Mathematician, -- By the Physicist, Evolution, Philosophical, Quantum Theory | 7 Comments

Q: Will CERN create a black hole?

Posted on November 26, 2009 by The Physicist

Physicist: Unfortunately, ultra small black holes straddle the line between quantum mechanics and general relativity, which makes it difficult to make useful predictions.  The answer is: a solid maybe.  If your conCERN is that the black hole thus created will … Continue reading →

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Paranoia, Physics | 12 Comments

Q: What is time?

Posted on November 23, 2009 by The Physicist

Physicist: All philosophy aside, the best answer is due to Einstein, who said (after lots of thought) that “Time is what clocks measure”. The term “spacetime” gets bandied about a lot.  And you may have been lead to (correctly) suspect … Continue reading →

Posted in -- By the Physicist, Philosophical, Physics, Relativity | 11 Comments