A common misconception about blood is that it looks blue when depleted of oxygen, explaining why lighter-skinned people see blue veins in their arms. Here I’ll talk about how deoxygenated blood isn’t blue at all, and that the real reason for the color shows off some interesting aspects of how light interacts with matter. Special…
Recently we talked about some cold weather physics, so this week I’m going to get your mind off of blizzards and onto beaches. You can probably guess that sunglasses make things look darker by preventing some sunlight from reaching your eyes, but what about polarizing sunglasses—are they really better for your eyes? (It turns out…
Everyday Physics is back from the holiday break, this time with a bit more complicated topic—I promise there is a very easy experiment you can do in your own kitchen to help it make sense, though. In addition to being the mode through which we view the world, light is integral to a number of…
Most people know that it’s more dangerous to drive when the weather is bad—rain, snow, or ice all make roads more slippery. Have you ever thought about why most accidents in slippery conditions occur when a car is turning? Today I’ll talk about the physics that goes into driving on wet roads, and how you…
Winter has come, and it’s likely that you’ll come down with a cold sometime this season. To check for a fever you’ll probably use a digital thermometer, but an old fashioned mercury and glass one will work just as well. The mercury one operates on the principle of thermal expansion, which explains many everyday physics…
The human sense of hearing is quite remarkable—you’re able to perceive things from a quiet whisper up to a rock concert effortlessly. You’ve probably heard that prolonged exposure to concerts can be bad for your hearing, as can standing nearby a jet taking off. Today I’ll discuss a bit of what goes into measuring sounds…
Previously we talked about what makes waves crash on the shore, and mentioned tidal waves as some of the largest water waves on Earth. These waves actually don’t have anything to do with the tides, though. Today I’ll tell you what makes the tides we can observe here on Earth, and mention some other cool…
Winter has come, so I thought it would be nice to throw out some practical knowledge to keep you safe while shedding some light on something that happens every day in the colder parts of the world. We all like to play with foggy windows in the car, but have you ever wondered why that…
I’m a big science fiction fan, especially for when it comes to movies. It’s pretty common to get some physics wrong in a science fiction movie, but there are a few concepts that even the most accurate movies seem to miss. A big one that reveals some interesting physics is something that many people seem…
Most people have heard an ambulance or firetruck pass them by at high speed, and have been told at one point or another that the odd sound you might hear as it passes comes from something called the Doppler effect. I’ll explain this effect below if you haven’t heard of it, but even if you…
You’ve probably heard that there are quite a lot of stars in the universe, and there is definitely a huge amount visible on a very dark night. Why doesn’t all that light wash out the dark spots in the sky, so that we see no black at all? This is actually a question that’s been…
Climate change is possibly the most important problem facing humanity today, so it’s critical to understand its causes and effects. One outcome that is already occurring is the rising of sea level due to ice melting, but this can be a bit confusing to many people. You may have heard that if a glacier melts…
There’s been a long hiatus for Everyday Physics because I was occupied writing my PhD thesis. Now that that’s complete, we can jump right back in! If you’re living somewhere with a relatively cold winter, you’ve probably experienced a lot of small shocks as you touch metallic objects like doorknobs or coat hangers. Now that…
Now that summer is upon those of us in the northern hemisphere, it’s a good time to talk about physics related to enjoying the warmer weather. One warning you’ll often hear is that you can still get sunburned on a cloudy day, and so you should still wear sunscreen even though it isn’t as bright…