Cheers! How the physics of fizz contributes to human happiness

The phenomenon that makes our favourite drinks bubbly is, alarmingly, the same one that causes decompression sickness in divers. Why do we still love it?

Think of the last time you had something to celebrate. If you toasted the happy occasion, your drink was probably alcoholic – and bubbly.

Keep reading Show less
food happiness physics
Surprising Science

Researchers successfully sent a simulated elementary particle back in time

Don't start investing in flux capacitors just yet, though.

Photo source: Geralt / Pixabay
  • The second law of thermodynamics states that order always moves to disorder, which we experience as an arrow of time.
  • Scientists used a quantum computer to show that time travel is theoretically possible by reverting a simulated particle from an entropic to a more orderly state.
  • While Einstein's general theory of relativity permits time travel, the means to achieve it remain improbable in nature.
Keep reading Show less
physics science time algorithm big problems computers science fiction future innovation
Surprising Science

Watch: Richard Feynman makes scientific concepts beautifully simple

Few could match the famous physicist in his ability to communicate difficult-to-understand concepts in a simple and warm fashion.

  • Richard Feynman was a renowned physicist who conducted legendary work on quantum physics, the Manhattan Project, and investigating the Challenger explosion.
  • Later in life, however, he became best known for his education work, gaining the nickname "the Great Explainer."
  • His series, Fun to Imagine, works as an excellent primer to Feynman's unique educational style. Here are 9 science lessons he covers in his series.
Keep reading Show less
physics nature sight sun learning richard feynman
Surprising Science

There’s gold in your brain — we now know where it came from

The answer is surprisingly simple, if cataclysmic.

Image source: tomertu/BravissimoS/Shutterstock/Big Think
  • A unique, tiny grain of stardust has provided a look at the early universe.
  • Computer simulations point to a single neutron-star collision as a significant source of heavy metals.
  • Gold is more than bling — it's in our neurons.
Keep reading Show less
chemistry physics planets cosmos universe science gold heavy metals astronomy
Surprising Science

Watch how this video brilliantly compares planet sizes

What if all planets were the same distance from Earth as the Moon?

Yeti Dynamics
  • A video imagines what it would look like if the planets were all the same distance from Earth as the Moon.
  • The largest planets like Jupiter and Saturn would loom large in the sky.
  • Mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system.
Keep reading Show less
astronomy big bang space nasa universe physics science planets
Surprising Science