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Top Ten Physics Experiments Of All Times

Posted by Hemos on from the beating-back-the-unknown dept.

MarkedMan writes "The New York Times is running an article about the top ten physics experiments of all time. You may disagree with the order, but it is hard to imagine pulling any one of these from the top ten. And most of them could be done by a patient amateur, at least one with access to cannonballs." The Times article wraps up the work by Robert P. Crease mentioned a few weeks ago.

11 of 264 comments (clear)

  1. Re:physics by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    You take a piece of buttered bread and strap it to a cat (buttered side up). Then you drop the cat from a few feet up. Since buttered bread always lands buttered side down and a cat always lands on its feet, the cat will hover a foot or so off the ground spinning perpetually.

  2. I VOTE FOR THIS ONE.... by Thatto · · Score: 5, Funny

    What could you do with 50Lbs. of Silly Putty?
    Check out the link:

    http://www.sunbelt-software.com/stu/putty/

    This one simple act covers physics(gravity Acceleration, fluid dynamics and whatnot) and is so simple but so fun.

    Too bad its sponsored by a windows software publishing house.
    FUN!

  3. 11th greatest experiment... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny


    Conducted in 7th grade; proved that farts are flammable.

  4. Summary of the article by guttentag · · Score: 5, Funny
    • In the late 1500's, everyone knew that heavy objects fall faster than lighter ones. After all, Aristotle had said so. That an ancient Greek scholar still held such sway was a sign of how far science had declined during the dark ages. Galileo Galilei, who held a chair in mathematics at the University of Pisa, was impudent enough to question the common knowledge.

    • Aristotle would have predicted that the velocity of a rolling ball was constant: double its time in transit and you would double the distance it traversed. Galileo was able to show that the distance is actually proportional to the square of the time: Double it and the ball would go four times as far.

    • The common wisdom held that white light is the purest form (Aristotle again)...
    Article summary: Three out of ten great scientists rose to prominence by proving Aristotle was an idiot. Dissing Aristotle is a sure fire way to impress your friends in scientific circles.
    1. Re:Summary of the article by Alsee · · Score: 5, Funny

      Your 3.5 page essay on the greatness of Aristotle earned you a +5 interesting/insightfull/informative, but...

      Article summary: Three out of ten great scientists rose to prominence by proving Aristotle was an idiot +5 funny

      is pure gold :)

      (How do I know it's pure gold? Well, I was taking a bath and some of the water spilled over the side...)

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  5. New Info Explains Galileo's Brilliance by guttentag · · Score: 5, Funny
    In the late 1500's, everyone knew that heavy objects fall faster than lighter ones. After all, Aristotle had said so. That an ancient Greek scholar still held such sway was a sign of how far science had declined during the dark ages. Galileo Galilei, who held a chair in mathematics at the University of Pisa, was impudent enough to question the common knowledge.
    The man's job was holding a chair? This explains everything. No wonder he understood gravity so well. His arms must have tired and he kept dropping the thing.

    People who have the most menial, boring jobs have the most time to intimately study commonly-ignored things like gravity.

  6. Smoke extraction by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    In our high school science class, we had to built an interesting contraption that was a glass tube filled with water, with a big plastic syringe on one end and a small tube on the other. A cigarette was attached to the small tube, and the smoke was pulled into the contraption.

    I never understood why our science teacher winked at us as he left the room, but years later I realised that everyone in the class had effectively built a bong.

  7. Re:My favourite physics experiment... by surprise_audit · · Score: 5, Funny
    The one thing that truly travels faster than light is monarchy. When a reigning monarch dies, the heir to the throne instantaneously becomes the next king or queen.

    According to Terry Pratchett (can't remember which book offhand), experiments to transmit messages by careful torturing of a small king have so far been unsuccessful, but the researchers are still hopeful...

  8. Re:With my today's morning commute by ShavenYak · · Score: 3, Funny

    I started leaving a large gap between my car and the car ahead of me in stop and go traffic several years ago. I've never had significant problems with cars cutting in and filling up the gap. Read the FAQ on his web page to get some explanations why.

    This doesn't work around Birmingham, Alabama. Damn NASCAR fans don't think they're going anywhere if they aren't passing people and cutting them off.

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    Hey kids, there's only 5 days left 'til Yak Shaving Day!
  9. Aristotle == Idiot by 0101000001001010 · · Score: 3, Funny

    I know, it is probably too late to get modded up, but here it goes anyway...

    IMHO Aristotle would have been very proud to have been called an idiot. The term idiot comes from the Ancient Greek word "ho idiotos" (or "hae idiotae" for the female form).

    The word means "the private man" or "one who thinks for himself". In my opinion being called an idiot is one of the greatest compliments a man can receive.

  10. Re:physics by forgotmypassword · · Score: 4, Funny

    My professor wondered why a cat always lands right side up.

    He took a cat and video taped it falling.

    He looked at the footage and noticed that the cat's tail was spinning in the opposite direction - to conserve angular momentum.

    So he decided to tape the cat's tail down and rerun the experiment.

    All this while running the video camera.

    The cat was sick of experiments and violently lashed out at him.

    All on tape.

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