How Squirrels Use Physice In Daily Life?

I was sitting in a park nearby my house, bored, having listened to all the trending songs in one go, when I saw a couple of Squirrels jumping from tree to tree. They reminded me of Toby Maguire and Andrew Garfield as Spiderman. More importantly, I was astonished at how they were using the principles of physics to go about their daily lives... 

Although squirrels or any other animal for that matter are not consciously aware of physics, they certainly interact with physical laws in fascinating ways. I am sure you, the reader, must have come across these 10 ways in which squirrels use physics in their everyday lives:

1. Parabolic Jumping: When squirrels jump from one branch to another, they follow a parabolic ttrajectory. Not only that, they spread their arms and legs as if they were birds to increase the surface area and lift force. I wonder if squirrels calculate the optimal angle and velocity needed to reach their destination.

2. Gravitational Potential Energy: When squirrels climb trees, they increase their potential energy. As they descend, they convert this energy into kinetic energy. I have seen them speed up and down the tree like it was nothing. Their bodies are also very elastic, which helps them in their daily chores. I wish I could climb a tree like that.

3. Friction for Grip: Have you noticed how Squirrels have sharp claws? Tiny but still firm. These claws allow them to grip surfaces with high friction. This friction is essential for climbing vertical tree trunks, allowing them to move quickly and stay stable while navigating tricky terrain. No wonder I can't climb with ease as my hands are always sweaty.

4. Elastic Potential Energy: Squirrels' tails act like a rudder and balance aid, but they also store and release elastic potential energy from their tail when the squirrel jumps or changes direction mid-air. This helps them land more precisely or correct their movement in mid-flight. The tail makes up and significant portion of their body weight and acts like a mechanism to (almost) fly.

5. Rotational Motion: When squirrels leap or fall, they can twist their bodies in mid-air, adjusting their orientation using their limbs and tail. This rotational motion allows them to land feet-first and avoid injury.

6. Energy Conservation: Squirrels run very fast, but for shorter periods of time. Like a Cheetah. This combination of high-speed running and short bursts of activity allows them to conserve energy while traveling long distances or evading predators.

7. Bouncing: When squirrels jump off hard surfaces or onto bouncy objects (such as a trampoline-like surface in a tree), their bodies absorb and release energy through elasticity, softening the landing and reducing the risk of injury.

8. Inertia and Momentum: When a squirrel is running at high speed and suddenly changes direction, its body mass and velocity create inertia, making it harder to stop. But with enough friction, it can quickly change direction without sliding, maintaining its momentum.

9. Gliding: There is a species of squirrels which flies, aptly called the flying squirrel. They have a fluffy membrane between their fore and hind legs, helping them to glide. The physics of air resistance helps them stay in the air longer and glide to distant points safely. Not all squirrels can glide long distances though, which is disappointing.

10. Balance and Center of Mass: Squirrels constantly adjust their center of mass as they move along narrow branches or leap across gaps. By shifting their body position and adjusting their posture, they maintain balance and stability to prevent falling. Have you noticed how they pose like Spiderman when they land? That's them adjusting their center of mass to make a safe fall.

In all these (and possibly more) ways, squirrels engage with the principles of physics in daily life, allowing them to thrive in their harsh environments.

10 Facts About Emmy Noether, First Lady of Mathematics

Despite facing adversity as a woman in a male-dominated field, Emmy Noether is regarded as one of the most important mathematicians of the 20th century, with a significant impact on both mathematics and physics.

Following are ten amazing facts about Emmy Noether, who is often called the First Lady of mathematics:

1. Emmy Noether came from a family of mathematicians. Her father, Max Noether, was a mathematician and her brother, Fritz Noether, was also a mathematician.

2. Noether studied several languages and literature before pursuing mathematics at the University of Erlangen, where she earned her PhD in 1907.

3. In the early part of her career, Noether was not allowed to teach at any university due to her gender. Women were not treated as equal in academia at that time. She worked as an unpaid lecturer.

4. Noether is known for her groundbreaking work in abstract algebra. Perhaps her most famous contribution is a theorem which links symmetries in physics to conservation laws. Noether's theorem explains why there are laws like conservation of energy or conservation of momentum.

5. In 1915, Noether moved to the University of Göttingen, one of the world's leading centers of mathematics at the time. She collaborated with prominent mathematicians, including David Hilbert.

6. Emmy Noether also helped Albert Einstein, particularly in understanding and resolving issues within his theory of general relativity. In 1918 she proved two theorems that were basic for both general relativity and elementary particle physics.

7. In 1933, Noether fled Nazi Germany due to her Jewish heritage and moved to the United States, where she continued her work at Bryn Mawr College, where she was appointed as a professor.

8. Noether passed away on April 14, 1935, at the age of 53, after a surgery to remove an ovarian cyst. Noether's influence on mathematics continues to be immense, and her work laid the foundation for much of the development of modern abstract algebra and theoretical physics.

9. Noether's work was recognized by leading mathematicians of her time, including Pavel Alexandrov, Albert Einstein, Jean Dieudonné, Hermann Weyl, and Norbert Wiener, who described her as "the most important woman in the history of mathematics."

10. Despite facing adversity as a woman in a male-dominated field, Noether made a strong mark in academia. Einstein himself wrote in an obituary that she was "the most significant creative mathematical genius thus far produced since the higher education of women began".

5 Physicists Who Won Nobel Prize In Chemistry

All science is either physics or stamp collecting. This is how physicist Ernest Rutherford compared physics, the king of all sciences to other less fundamental sciences. Quite ironically, Rutherford won a Nobel Prize in chemistry later on.

In this post, let us take a look at physicists who won a Nobel Prize in chemistry:

1. Ernest Rutherford

Rutherford was a New Zealand physicist who is known for proposing the nuclear model of atom. Rutherford is also called the father of nuclear physics, courtesy of his gold foil experiment. He won a Nobel prize in chemistry in 1908 for his services to studies into the disintegration of the elements, and the chemistry of radioactive substances.

2. Marie Curie

Madame Curie was a physicist and chemist who won two Nobel prizes in both the sciences. The first prize was received in physics, for investigations on radioactivity. The second Nobel, which was for chemistry, was won in 1911 for discovering radium and polonium.

3. Walter Kohn

Walter Kohn was an Austrian American physicist who won the 1998 Nobel prize in chemistry for understanding the electronic properties of materials. Kohn had received MA degree in mathematics from University of Toronto and PhD in physics from Harvard university in 1948.

4. John Pople

John Pople shared the 1998 Nobel prize in chemistry with Kohn, he won the coveted prize for his development of computational methods in quantum chemistry. Pople got a PhD degree in maths from Cambridge university in 1951. He then worked as head of physics division at national physical laboratory in London.

5. Venki Ramakrishnan

Venkatraman Ramakrishnan won the 2009 Nobel prize in chemistry for research on ribosomes. He got his bachelor of science degree in physics in 1971. After that Venki Ramakrishnan received his PhD in physics from Ohio university in 1976. He spent the next two years making a transition from physics to biology.

5 Popular Characters Inspired By Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein is a world renowned genius whose influence knew no bounds when he was alive. Even after death, Einstein has served as an inspiration not only to students, but also to writers, filmmakers and comedians alike.

Most recently, Einstein was shown in Christopher Nolan's Oscar winning movie - Oppenheimer, a familiar portrayal of the genius by Tom Conti. Albert Einstein is seen as a mentor to Robert Oppenheimer, the protagonist. Historically, Einstein is known to have initiated a request for Manhattan project.

Following is a list of 5 popular fictional characters who are inspired by Albert Einstein:

1. The 1988 film Young Einstein presents a fictionalized version of Einstein’s early life. In this version, Einstein is shown as the son of a Tasmanian apple farmer who not only develops the theory of relativity, but also surfing and rock and roll. His theory, E=mc^2 is shown as method for splitting beer atoms!

2. In the 2001 film A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, Einstein was portrayed as a holographic personality called Dr. Know and voiced by Robin Williams.

3. In the film Back to the Future, Doc Brown is portrayed as a brilliant scientist, time traveler and inventor. He resembles Einstein and has a dog named Einstein, who is Brown's favorite scientist. No wonder Doc Brown's hair is all over the place like Einstein's. Christopher Lloyd, who played the character credited Einstein as being his inspiration for the character.

4. The 2009 film The Nutcracker in 3D includes a character named Uncle Albert which was played by Nathan Lane, who resembles Einstein, speaks with a German accent, and recites Albert Einstein quotes. On the internet, many of Einstein's quotes are often misattributed, but that is a different story.

5. Another Einstein like character appears in Nicolas Roeg's 1985 film Insignificance. The film includes a scene in which the genius scientist, played by Michael Emil, discusses relativity with an actress, resembling Marilyn Monroe. It is a popular notion that the two celebrities secretly met.

4 Physics Couples Who Changed The World

February is popular as the month to celebrate love and affection. In the world of physics, there have been couples who not only shared their lives but also their passion for physics. They often collaborated with each other on experiment, research projects and contributed to the advancement of scientific knowledge.

Following are 4 couples, who were both physicists:

1. Marie Curie and Pierre Curie

   Marie Curie was a pioneering physicist and chemist, known for discovering Radium and Polonium. Marie Curie was the first woman to win a Nobel Prize and remains the only person to have won Nobel Prizes in two different scientific fields (Physics and Chemistry).

   Pierre Curie was a noted physicist who made significant contributions to the study of magnetism and radioactivity. He shared the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics with his wife, Marie Curie, and Henri Becquerel for their work on radioactivity.

src: Wikimedia commons

2. Irène Joliot-Curie and Frédéric Joliot-Curie

   Irène Joliot-Curie, the daughter of Marie and Pierre Curie, followed in her parents' footsteps and became a celebrated physicist. She won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1935 alongside her husband, Frédéric, for their discovery of artificial radioactivity.

   Frédéric Joliot-Curie was a physicist and chemist who, along with his wife Irène, made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics. Their work laid the groundwork for future discoveries in nuclear energy.

src: Bibliothèque nationale de France

3. Gertrude Scharff Goldhaber and Maurice Goldhaber

   Gertrude Scharff Goldhaber made important contributions to nuclear physics, particularly in the study of beta decay and nuclear fission. She and her husband Maurice were lab partners at Brookhaven National Laboratory.

   Maurice Goldhaber was a renowned physicist known for his work in nuclear physics, including the determination that the neutrino has a left-handed helicity. He won the Fermi award for his contributions in 1998.

4. Cécile DeWitt-Morette and Bryce DeWitt

   Cécile DeWitt-Morette, a French physicist, made significant contributions to the field of quantum field theory and general relativity. She was also known for her work in mathematical physics. She wanted to become a surgeon but due to limited opportunities in France during world war 2, decided to study physics and maths.

src: Brandon dinunno, wikimedia commons

   Bryce DeWitt was a theoretical physicist who made important contributions to quantum gravity and the formulation of the Wheeler-DeWitt equation. He and Cécile collaborated on various research projects and co-authored several papers.

9 Quotes By Carl Sagan On Astronomy

Carl Sagan was an American scientist (1934-1996) who is best known for his TV show Cosmos: a personal voyage and inspiring astrophysicists like Neil deGrasse Tyson to pursue astronomy. Carl Sagan was an expert in the field of exobiology and search for extraterrestrial life.

Carl Sagan also worked with NASA on various projects including the Pioneer plaque and Voyager golden record, which were the first physical messages sent to space. Since Carl Sagan was born on November 9, celebrated as Carl Sagan day across America, following are 9 quotes on astronomy by Carl Sagan:

1. The cosmos is within us. We're made of star stuff. We are a way for the cosmos to know itself.

2. Every one of us is, in the cosmic perspective, precious. If a human disagrees with you, let him live. In a hundred billion galaxies, you will not find another.

3. For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.

4. Virtually every newspaper in America has a daily column on astrology; there are hardly any that have even a weekly column on astronomy.

5. Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light. Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark.

Earth as a point of pale blue light, picture by NASA

6. I stress that the universe is made mostly of nothing, that something is the exception.

7. A tiny blue dot set in a sunbeam. Here it is. That's where we live. That's home. We humans are one species and this is our world. It is our responsibility to cherish it. Of all the worlds in our solar system, the only one so far as we know, graced by life.

8. In the long run, every planetary society will be endangered by impacts from space, every surviving civilization is obliged to become spacefaring — not because of exploratory or romantic zeal, but for the most practical reason imaginable: staying alive.

9. In the vastness of the Cosmos there must be other civilizations far older and more advanced than ours.