Physics geek post

phinds

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I spend a lot more time on the Physics Forums (www.physicsforums.com) than I do here, but other than copying over some of the better humor posts from there to here (and here to there) I have never mixed the two.

SO ... I have no idea if anyone here will be interested in this but I found it just delightfully mind-blowing and had to share it. The first video shows WHAT it is and introduces the fact that there is this TOTALLY unexpected relationship between some blocks banging into each other and the value of pi.

(just over 5 minutes)

The follow-on video explains the math in detail, and while it’s the one that gave me more pleasure than anything I’ve seen on the internet in years. I don’t particularly recommend it unless you're really into math. Just consider the fact presented in the first video and marvel at how math and physics sometimes come together in amazingly unexpected ways.

(Part 2 - 15 minutes)

There is a 3rd part to the series, but it is an even more esoteric delving into the unexpected relationships between math and physics that evolve from this "simple" exercise, so even less is it something I would recommend to you since it gets even deeper into math and I put it here just for completeness sake.

(Part 3 - 14+ minutes)
 

DLJeffs

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That's really cool. Thanks for sharing it. It's truly fascinating to me how many places Pi shows up in our natural world.
 

phinds

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I only made it through the first vid and a couple minutes of the second, but wow!
Yeah, it's only high school math but unless you're really GOOD at high school math and have taken it quite recently, it's likely to be a bit much.
 

DKMD

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Very cool! Since there’s such consistency in the relationship between math and physics, I wonder if the experiment was done with a multiple of 10 if it would provide some kind of magical constant like pi?
 

ripjack13

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I stink in math to high heaven. But the sound bytes of the blocks bouncing made me happy.
:sarcastic:
 

Mike Hill

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Did someone say Pi. I like mine topped with ice cream!

He forgot to mention a few more ideal conditions such as this having to happen in a vacuum and in a shielded box (no other force even gravity, etc), much less how do you shield the blocks from molecular and atomic forces from within.. Guess that is why I like delving with engineering - deals with real life rather expectations. This is unlikely to ever happen - frictionless does not exist, neither does 100% elastic collisions and the effect of gravity is not accounted for in this model. It's why the "Butterfly Effect" is likely a myth - or likely the probability is so low, that the chance of it happening is very close to never. Do we really know all the physical laws of the universe? .
 

phinds

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Did someone say Pi. I like mine topped with ice cream!

He forgot to mention a few more ideal conditions such as this having to happen in a vacuum and in a shielded box (no other force even gravity, etc), much less how do you shield the blocks from molecular and atomic forces from within.. Guess that is why I like delving with engineering - deals with real life rather expectations. This is unlikely to ever happen - frictionless does not exist, neither does 100% elastic collisions and the effect of gravity is not accounted for in this model. It's why the "Butterfly Effect" is likely a myth - or likely the probability is so low, that the chance of it happening is very close to never. Do we really know all the physical laws of the universe? .
Oh, he makes no pretense at all that this could actually be DONE and in fact is quite clear in pointing out that it cannot be realized physically. So, you've missed the point entirely. It's that math that is of interest.
 

Mike Hill

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Oh, I know he didn't. No dissing meant at all. I used to drive my profs and teachers crazy asking about real life aspects rather than theory - I think I was born - not with a silver spoon in my my mouth - but a pragmatic spoon! The other thing that would drive them crazy is that I would offer as an answer, another proof than the one they taught. Both people who taught me physics were old jarheads. Math was no problem for me back then. However, It's been awhile since I ever used any of the theory. Have used the practical heavily - especially, geo, trig, occasionally some higher algebra (solving for more than one variable), and just doing lots of adds, subtracts and the like. It's what we do. Never, calculus, differentiall equations, hydro, or anything higher. One of my most cherished possessions is a construction calculator. It adds, subtracts, multiplies, or whatever; fractions, decimals, feet, inches, or any combination thereof. Now, that has been a useful time-saver!

Although the actual outcomes are caused or dependent on the physical laws, they don't explain whether a beam will support a load when an "x" load and other forces are applied to it within the usual tolerances - or what size crane to use for a certain pick - or what size wall tie and tie spacing to use to form a 12" thick wall 24' tall at full liquid head. Those were figured out by a bunch of guys adding loads to different beams and measuring the outcomes. And in real life applications engineers use a "safety factor". When I see an explanation like the video, I usually come away with many more questions than when I start. It drives me batty, but in my older age, I have become very cynical about what people say and advocate. Generally, I have to prove it to myself before I take for face value.

i.e. - I went through 16 years of schooling, my daughter 19 years, and my wife 21 years, all being taught, with certainty, that there were nine planets in our little solar system. Now how many are there - eight. Now who is correct? Basically, the one who gets to define and set the "rules" of the time. Is Pluto still there? Certainly! The only thing different is just a different definition of what a planet is. Well the Pluto example was more esoteric than that - sorta.

Besides, unless in geometry and trig, pi wasn't emphasized in any of my classes. Because I went in to become an Architect, I had to take a few "design" courses and what was emphasized - the Golden Mean or Golden Ratio - 1.618! LOL.
 
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phinds

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I used to drive my profs and teachers crazy asking about real life aspects rather than theory - I think I was born - not with a silver spoon in my my mouth - but a pragmatic spoon!
Yep. Me too. I'm an engineer, not a scientist
Besides, unless in geometry and trig, pi wasn't emphasized in any of my classes. Because I went in to become an Architect, I had to take a few "design" courses and what was emphasized - the Golden Mean or Golden Ratio - 1.618! LOL.
Now there we differ. Since I took EE all the way to a masters, I had a lot of use for pi. But once I got out of school I had no practical use for it since I designed digital circuits, not analog.
 

Mike Hill

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Yep, since graduating, never once has the Golden Ratio ever figure into anything. It's all about meeting Codes requirements, meeting standard nominals, meeting local construction ways and means, meeting safety standards, meeting the budget, etc.... nothing to do with "good" design.

Actually thought about EE in school. That was back in the day that TI and HP were hot, and both, but especially TI was hiring most of the EE grads from A&M - at a good salary, AND their recruiters were quite striking in their short dresses. Actually PetE was also really hot, but had to have an advanced degree, doctorate, to do anything with it.
 

JerseyHighlander

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Another one of those constants of nature that just can't be a coincidence. What if it's just like a mobile, hanging over our cosmic cradle...

One of my favorite things while home schooling my teenage son the past couple years, has bee teaching him physics and watching the look in his eyes as complex things start to connect in his head.
 

phinds

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Another one of those constants of nature that just can't be a coincidence.
And as is laid out in complete detail in the second video, it is not a coincidence, it just looks an awfully lot like one.
 
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