Nectar-drinking bats, honey possums, and honeybees all use hair-like protrusions on their tongues to help them drink. In bats, these papillae have blood vessels that swell when drinking, stiffening the Keep reading
Month: November 2023
When Friction Isn’t Enough
If you try to build a pyramid of dry glass beads, you’ll have a hard time of it. The frictional forces simply aren’t enough to hold the beads together against Keep reading
Skiing, Avalanches, and Freezing Bubbles
To wrap up our look at Olympic physics, we bring you a wintry mix of interviews with researchers, courtesy of JFM and FYFD. Learn about the research that helped French Keep reading
PyeongChang 2018: Curling
Curling is a deceptively engrossing sport with some unique physics among Winter Olympic events. Athletes slide 19kg granite stones at a target 28 meters away. Along the way, teammates sweep Keep reading
PyeongChang 2018: Cross-Country Skiing
Cross-country skiing, also known as Nordic skiing, is a part of many longstanding disciplines in the Winter Games. Unlike downhill skiing, cross-country events typically involve mass starts, which allow athletes Keep reading
PyeongChang 2018: Ice-Making
When it comes to winter sports, not all ice is created equal. Every discipline has its own standards for the ideal temperature and density of ice, which makes venue construction Keep reading
PyeongChang 2018: Bobsleigh
In bobsleigh, two- and four-person teams compete across four runs down an ice track. The shortest cumulative time wins, and since typical runs are separated by hundredths of a second, Keep reading
PyeongChang 2018: Snow-Making
These days artificial snow-making is a standard practice for ski resorts, allowing them to jump-start the early part of the season. Snow guns continuously spray a mixture of cold water Keep reading
PyeongChang 2018: Speedskating
Four years ago in Sochi, Under Armour’s suits for the U.S. speedskating team took a lot of flak after the team failed to medal. The company defended the physics and Keep reading
PyeongChang 2018: Skeleton
Skeleton, the sliding event in which athletes race down an ice track head first, is a fast-paced and punishing sport. Skeleton racers can reach speeds of 125 kph (~80 mph) Keep reading