Favorite Geeky Science Phenomena

[jfields 0]

Okay, post your favorite geeky science phenomena here. What is the name of it, and how does it work? Keep your explanations simple enough for everyone to understand.
The Leidenfrost Effect

When a bit of liquid is dropped on a really hot surface, it doesn't just evaporate off quickly like you'd expect. It can skitter around and stay there for a good while. Try it by putting some drops of water of a frying pan. See how long the drops last. As the pan gets hotter, you'll actually hit a point where the drops start lasting much longer.

It works because when the pan is hot enough, the water doesn't actually sit on the pan. Right as it touches tha pan, a little bit of the water instantly vaporizes. Then the droplet floats on top of a cushion of water vapor. The layer of water vapor helps insulate the droplet from the heat, allowing it to survive for longer than it would on a colder pan where it sat right in contact with the hot surface.

PS

This is what lets people walk across hot coals. The coals vaporize the sweat on the bottoms of people's feet and help insulate them. The science behind party tricks!

[dterrick 0]

The selectively perpetual Beer fridge

We have one on DZ. There is always cold beer in the same place and it is always fresh and tasty. No matter how late we drink, there is always more beer.

Food is another issue. That which remains in the fridge appears always to be inedible or otherwise spoiled - except the ketchup. "New" food placed in the fridge can evaporate in a mater of hours.



Seriously, 'hoar frost' is my fave. Nothing like seeing all the tress covered in white 'fuzz' and those cool designs on your car windshield

-Dave

Life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend (Lennon/McCartney)

[Atlas 0]

The Peltier Effect

Peltier effect, the theory that there is a heating or cooling effect when electric current passes through two conductors. A voltage applied to the free ends of two dissimilar materials creates a temperature difference. With this temperature difference, Peltier cooling will cause heat to move from one end to the other.


So you basicly end up with one side at a high temperature, and the other side at a low temperature. I've seen a few that can get the difference between the sides to be almost 70 Degrees Celcius.

It's neat. :)

[blair700 0]

2 words
AURORA BOREALIS
Blair

[CrazyIvan 0]

The Boobie Pendulum

__________________________________________
Blue Skies and May the Force be with you.

[turtlespeed 226]

I'm not sure what it is called, perhaps you can enlighten me.

I love it when you can stick a beverage,( no it doesn't have to be beer, but beer is the tastiest example), in the freezer. You have to time it just right, but if you do, you have a very cold beer that is all liquid. After you un cap the beer, it turns into a very cold slushy frosty beverage that is just awesome to drink.

Yeah, that would have to be my favorite.

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[jfields 0]

Ivan,

Please illustrate using numerous visual aids taken from the Internet, along with a scientific explanation of the phenomenon.

[Push 0]

Just one? Too hard to pick. Here's a favorite.

-- Toggle Whippin' Yahoo
Skydiving is easy. All you have to do is relax while plummetting at 120 mph from 10,000' with nothing but some nylon and webbing to save you.

[FallingILweenie 0]

I like the concept of terminal velocity.

[Guest]

Electromagnetism.

The phenomenon that occurs when a magnetic field passes a wire, and generates current; and conversely, when current is passed through a wire, and generates a magnetic field. Nifty!

"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."

[Guest]

Quote

The Peltier Effect

Peltier effect, the theory that there is a heating or cooling effect when electric current passes through two conductors. A voltage applied to the free ends of two dissimilar materials creates a temperature difference. With this temperature difference, Peltier cooling will cause heat to move from one end to the other.

And of course, when one side is heated and the other is cooled, electric current flows!

"The mouse does not know life until it is in the mouth of the cat."

[kallend 2,115]

Quote

The Peltier Effect

Peltier effect, the theory that there is a heating or cooling effect when electric current passes through two conductors.

Nothing theoretical about it - it happens

[sunshine 2]

What is it when you throw things like aerosal cans in a fire and they explode? Not sure if that counts as a geeky science phenomenom, but it's pretty cool.

___________________________________________
meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

[Push 0]

Dr Kallend, what do you think of this?

http://www.americanantigravity.com/podkletnov.html

-- Toggle Whippin' Yahoo
Skydiving is easy. All you have to do is relax while plummetting at 120 mph from 10,000' with nothing but some nylon and webbing to save you.

[kallend 2,115]

How about the theory of nucleation and growth of 2nd phases as applied to the effervescence of beer when opening a bottle with or without first shaking it. As a corollary, can also consider the gizmo they put inside bottles of Guinness to generate the correct "head".

Or the interaction of convergent polarized light with a birefringent material to produce a Newton ring sight?

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[kallend 2,115]

Quote

Dr Kallend, what do you think of this?

http://www.americanantigravity.com/podkletnov.html

This says it all:

"The Effect is named after its discoverer - Eugene Podkletnov - and is difficult to replicate, which currently prevents widespread acceptance in the scientific community"

Who remembers "Cold Fusion" - also difficult to replicate...

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[lawrocket 3]

My fave is mixing corn starch with water. When no pressure is applied, it is a liquid. When there is pressure applied, it is a solid.

Don't add too much water, not like you would to make a roux. I could play with it for hours...

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[CrazyIvan 0]

This may not be a phenomena, but I was totally amazed since the first time I saw this material.

__________________________________________
Blue Skies and May the Force be with you.

[billvon 3,088]

>Okay, post your favorite geeky science phenomena here.

The Casimir effect. Every day, all around you, trillions of particles spontaneously create themselves then disappear. (To put it another way, there are EM fluctuations in even a perfect vacuum.) If you put two plates _very_ close together, there is an area between them where there is less possible fluctuation, and the net result is an energy "vacuum" that pulls the plates together - even if they start in a perfect vacuum.

[Casch 0]

Am I the only one here that just tried this? It took a few attempts to keep the flame going long enough, and I don't have a spherical glass thingie so I'm using a wine glass, and the plasmoid isn't very stable, it keeps flaming out and re-igniting as long as the toothpic flame is still going. That was FUCKING AWESOME!

[Casch 0]

OMG LOLI just tried again and got the plasmoid to last 8 seconds before it blew up the glass I was using

[turtlespeed 226]

Does it hurt the microwave to do this?

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun

[Casch 0]

I don't think so...but I'm no scientist

[Casch 0]

Here's a pic of the explosion aftermath

[turtlespeed 226]

Quote

I don't think so...but I'm no scientist

Ok...so what exactly is plasma then...laymans terms please.

I'm not usually into the whole 3-way thing, but you got me a little excited with that. - Skymama
BTR #1 / OTB^5 Official #2 / Hellfish #408 / VSCR #108/Tortuga/Orfun