Tag: physics

The feasibility of floating in a bubble

Hello readers! Wicked: For Good came out last week, and since then, I’ve been pondering the physics of Glinda’s bubble. For those of you that haven’t seen the film – don’t worry. I won’t spoil anything in this post that hasn’t already been spoiled in the trailers. The reason that Glinda’s bubble has been bothering … Continue reading The feasibility of floating in a bubble →

Six-minute summary: Niels Bohr

Hello readers! It is time for another six-minute summary. This week, in response to a reader request, we will be learning about the life of Niels Bohr, a Danish physicist who made huge discoveries regarding quantum mechanics and the structure of atoms. Although his name will be very familiar to physicists (and Danes), it might … Continue reading Six-minute summary: Niels Bohr →

Learning from old science books: Part One

Hello readers! Last week I read a Victorian geology book – possibly one of the most influential science books ever written. Principles of Geology by Charles Lyell introduced a relatively young field to a general audience, and solidified geology as a science in its own right, rather than as a mere rock collecting exercise. It … Continue reading Learning from old science books: Part One →

Clayton Calculates: The feasibility of a hedgehog running over water

Hello readers! This week’s post is a response to a reader request. Harry (aged 27) has asked me to investigate the feasibility of a hedgehog running over water, if that hedgehog could run very fast. Some of you may have already guessed the inspiration for this enquiry, as it relates to a franchise that is … Continue reading Clayton Calculates: The feasibility of a hedgehog running over water →

Six-minute summary: James Croll

Hello readers! This week, I’m summarising the life of a lesser-known scientist. James Croll was once a big name in the British scientific community, exchanging ideas with contemporaries such as Charles Lyell and Charles Darwin. He was a physicist, geologist, and mathematician – but when he published his first paper, he was employed only as … Continue reading Six-minute summary: James Croll →

Clayton Calculates: Sandworm locomotion

Hello readers! Last week saw the release of Dune: Part Two in cinemas, and all the buzz around giant sandworms got me wondering – how do they move around? I’ll admit, I haven’t actually seen the film yet (partly because I’ve been too busy watching videos of actual earthworms), and so I’m working with what … Continue reading Clayton Calculates: Sandworm locomotion →

Clayton Calculates: Lava-water interactions in video games

Hello readers! This is an old post that I unearthed while tidying up the blog, so I have streamlined the structure and removed the spelling errors in order to share it once again. These calculations come from June 2023, and were originally tied to a post that discussed the properties of lava. At the time, … Continue reading Clayton Calculates: Lava-water interactions in video games →

Six-minute summary: Henry Cavendish

Hello readers! It’s time for another six-minute summary of a historical figure. This week, we’ll explore the life of Henry Cavendish, an eighteenth-century scientist best known for discovering hydrogen and measuring the density of the Earth. However, Cavendish kept many of his findings private, and much of his pioneering research only reached public attention decades … Continue reading Six-minute summary: Henry Cavendish →

Six-minute summary: Inge Lehmann

Hello readers! Today’s six-minute summary is about Inge Lehmann, the Danish scientist who discovered that our planet has a solid inner core. I thought this summary would be somewhat topical following the recent media coverage of ‘giant blobs’ in the lower mantle, now proposed to be the remnants of an ancient collision with another planet … Continue reading Six-minute summary: Inge Lehmann →