The Hyperfine
Physics Podcast
Acoustic Levitation w/ Special Guest Dr. David Jackson
8 July, 2021
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Zak and Derek discuss acoustic levitaiton with Dr. David Jackson, Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Dickinson College.
Their published paper at AAJP (requires subscription), "Acoustic levitation and the acoustic radiation force":
https://aapt.scitation.org/doi/10.1119/10.0002764
You can contact Dr. Jackson to request a copy:
https://www.dickinson.edu/site/custom_scripts/dc_faculty_profile_index.php?fac=jacksond
Ming-Hua Chang's senior thesis, "Using Schlieren Optics to Visualize Ultrasonic Standing Waves In Acoustic Levitation":
https://scholar.dickinson.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1391&context=student_honors
Dr. Daniel A Russell's Acoustics and Vibration Animations:
https://www.acs.psu.edu/drussell/demos.html
Selected gifs of wave motion:
https://www.acs.psu.edu/drussell/Demos/waves/wavemotion.html
https://www.acs.psu.edu/drussell/Demos/Reflect-Particles/Reflect-Particles.html
https://www.acs.psu.edu/drussell/Demos/phase-p-u-sine/phase-p-u-sine.html
https://www.acs.psu.edu/drussell/Demos/SWR/SWR.html
Physics Girl video building an acoustic levitator on Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABjRnSYw-4k
Acoustic levitation on Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acoustic_levitation
Gravitational G and How Science Works
17 June, 2021
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Zak and Derek discuss the "controversial" value of Newton's gravitational constant G. They cover the history of its measurement and how the value (and confidence in that value) has changed over time.
Gravitational G wiki page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravitational_constant
Relative uncertainty of phsyical constants: https://codata.org/blog/2015/08/04/codata-recommended-values-of-the-fundamental-physical-constants-2014/
Different G experiments with uncertainty bars: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/344933668/figure/fig2/AS:1019607263477760@1620104723443/The-eleven-values-of-G-adopted-in-CODATA-2014-after-2000-and-our-latest-two-values.png
Cosmology and the Arrow of Time
16 May, 2021
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Zak and Derek discuss the big question: why is the future different than the past? Why do we remember the past but not the future?
Much the discussion comes from Sean Carrollâs book, âFrom Eternity to Here: The Quest for the Ultimate Theory of Timeâ
Is Anything Truly Random? w/Special Guest Grant Ciffone
4 May, 2021
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Zak and Derek chat with special guest, Grant Ciffone! Grant joins us as a non-physicist who asks âIs anything truly random in the universe?â
Interested in being a guest on the show? Come ask us a question! Email us at hbar@thehyperfine.com
How to Keep Time
20 April, 2021
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Zak and Derek discuss a mystery in a hospital, where an MRI machine seems to have taken out only iPhones; Android was unharmed. This leads to a conversation on how watches work, fundamentally.
Entropy & Statistical Mechanics
8 April, 2021
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Zak and Derek discuss the statistical origins of entropy and how it connects from there into thermodynamics. They also encourage using flashcards :)
Thermodynamics
23 March, 2021
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Zak and Derek discuss the basics of thermodynamics, including the so-called thermodynamic potentials.
Topics: energy, temperature, entropy, pressure, volume, enthalpy, Helmholtz free energy, Gibbs free enthalpy.
Modern Thermodynamics: http://www.av8n.com/physics/thermo/
Legendre transformation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legendre_transformation
Benfordâs Law
5 March, 2021
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Zak and Derek discuss Benfordâs Law, including the strange places it pops up, and some fundamental origins of the law.
Some of the references discussed:
The Mathematics of Benfordâs Law â A Primer
Arno Berger and Theodore P. Hill
April 22, 2020
A Simple Explanation of Benfordâs Law
R. M. FEWSTER
The American Statistician, February 2009, Vol. 63, No. 1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benford%27s_law
Planck, Einstein, and the Origins of Quantum Mechanics
7 December, 2019
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Zak and Derek discuss Max Planckâs work in the foundations of what would turn into quantum mechanics, and Albert Einsteinâs role in its promulgation. How did Max Planck fix the blackbody radiation problem with the ultraviolet catastrophe, or is that actually what happened?
References discussed:
Black-Body Theory and the Quantum Discontinuity by Thomas Kuhn (Amazon book)
Einstein and the Quantum: The Quest of the Valiant Swabian by Douglas Stone (Amazon book)
Revisiting the Quantum Discontinuity (PDF)
The Physics of Hurricanes
3 September, 2019
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Zak and Derek discuss the physics of hurricanes, including the energy involved, and rotating reference frames, including Coriolis effects. Why do they rotate in different directions in the northern and southern hemispheres?
Hadrons â Quark Systems
26 July, 2019
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Zak and Derek discuss the composite systems of quarks in baryons and mesons, as well as the eightfold way and multiplet organization of quark particles. This is a follow up to the Standard Model episode.
Further reading:
âIntroduction to Elementary Particlesâ by David Griffiths
Eightfold way (physics) on Wikipedia
Murry Gell-Mann on Wikipedia
List of baryons on Wikipedia
The Standard Model Part 1
12 May, 2019
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The first of a multi-part series on the Standard Model of particle physics. This is an overview of the particles that make up the standard model.
Derekâs main reference book: The New Cosmic Onion
Zakâs main reference book: The Theory of Almost Everything
The Standard Model on Wikipedia
Domino Amplifier
12 April, 2019
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Zak and Derek discuss toppling larger and larger dominos in a chain reaction. How does the potential energy work? What are the limits of the setup?
World Record Largest Toppling Dominos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ODHofgWv2QM&feature=youtu.be&t=86
The gravity-powered LED light: https://deciwatt.global/
Bohmian Mechanics â Pilot Wave Theory
6 April, 2019
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Zak and Derek follow up their Bellâs Theorm and EPR discussion with a survey of Bohmian mechanics, often called pilot wave theory, one of many interpretations of quantum mechanics.
Looking Glass Universe âBohmian Mechanics- An Alternative to Quantumâ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbRVnC92sMs
Looking Glass Universe âA problem with Bohmian Mechanics? Contextualityâ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qz4CHI_W-TA
Veritasium âIs This What Quantum Mechanics Looks Like?â https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIyTZDHuarQ
de BroglieâBohm theory on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Broglie%E2`%93Bohm_theory
Copenhagen interpretation on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copenhagen_interpretation
Holland, The Quantum Theory of Motion: https://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Theory-Motion-Broglie-Bohm-Interpretation/dp/0521485436
Rosenblum & Kuttner, Quantum Enigma: https://www.amazon.com/Quantum-Enigma-Physics-Encounters-Consciousness-ebook/dp/B005H5O1DU/
Relative Motion (Not Relativity)
30 March, 2019
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Zak and Derek discuss a drone flying in an accelerating car. Does it stay in place? Fly to the back, front, ceiling, or floor? (And does the plane take off?)
The original Reddit post. (The actual question has been removed, but the replies feed the discussion.) https://old.reddit.com/r/Physics/comments/8makbf/i_dont_know_if_this_is_the_right_place_to_ask_but/
Drone in a car YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjTj-tGPSWE
Smarter Every Day balloon (and bubble) in a car: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8mzDvpKzfY
Bellâs Theorem and EPR
21 March, 2019
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Zak and Derek discuss nothing less than the fundamental nature of reality. They start with the arguments made in the Einstein, Podolsky, and Rosen paper from 1935, which were then tackled by John Bell in 1964 with Bellâs Theorem and Bell inequalities.
References:
The original Bell paper (1964): https://cds.cern.ch/record/111654/files/vol1p195-200_001.pdf
The original EPR paper (1935): http://www.drchinese.com/David/EPR.pdf
Bohrâs response to EPR (1935): http://cds.cern.ch/record/1060284/files/PhysRev.48.696.pdf
Bohmâs physics textbook. Specifically, page 29, and Chapter 5 section 3, and Chapter 22 Section 19. (1951): https://books.google.com/books?id=hEHCAgAAQBAJ
David Merminâs paper (1985): http://cp3.irmp.ucl.ac.be/~maltoni/PHY1222/mermin_moon.pdf
David Mermin talk at Berkeley (2008): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta09WXiUqcQ
Tim Maudlinâs talk âWhat Bell Didâ (2014): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg5z_zeZP60
Bellâs Theorem in the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (good historical overview): https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/bell-theorem/
GHZ (3-particle) experiments: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GHZ_experiment
Bellâs Theorem in popular Youtube channels:
Veritasium: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuvK-od647c
Through the Looking Glass: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-s3q9wlLag
MinutePhysics & 3Blue1Brown: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcqZHYo7ONs
3Blue1Brown & MinutePhysics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzRCDLre1b4
Physics Girl: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6WxIblKVZI
(Note: At about 46:40, Derek says âThis now gets at the Schrodingerâs Cat problem, which was a reply to the EPR and Bohm papers,â but should have said âEPR and Bohr papersâ.)
Climbing Magnets
29 November, 2018
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Zak and Derek try to tackle the âclimbing magnetsâ puzzle from Veritasiumâs Youtube channel. Both taking different approaches until watching the result together.
Balloons Inside Balloons and Sweet Spots
22 November, 2018
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Zak and Derek first discuss what happens to a balloon which holds another balloon that pops while inside the first. Then they try to tackle the physics of sweet spots on bats.
The balloon gif: https://i.imgur.com/96ld4oz.gifv
Sweet spot discussion starts 18:50
Fortnite and the Principle of Least Action
15 November, 2018
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Zak and Derek discuss the physics of dropping in Fortnite and PUBG.
Derekâs Epic name: theHyperfine
How do you reach the ground the fastest? When should you jump? What do you do after you jump?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Principle_of_least_action
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brachistochrone_curve
Encryption: Diffie-Hellman & RSA
8 November, 2018
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Derek and Zak confirm they are talking to each other using the Diffie-Hellman protocol. Zak then encrypts a secret message using RSA encryption, which Derek then decrypts.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffie%E2`%93Hellman_key_exchange
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSA_(cryptosystem))
The Art of the Problem has a fantastic pair of videos on YouTube explaining how these encryption methods both work.
Diffie-Hellman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEBfamv-_do
RSA Encryption: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXB-V_Keiu8
Geosynchronous Orbits
1 November, 2018
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Derek and Zak discuss why there is a specific geosynchronous orbit distance at all. Why canât it be any distance? And why is the escape speed what it is? Why canât you move 1mph and leave Earth?
How Much Weight Do You Lift When Doing a Pushup?
28 September, 2018
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Pushup discussion starts at 11:12.
Floating Hourglass
21 September, 2018
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How does moving sand affect the buoyancy of the hourglass? Or does it?
Derek takes a stab at a conceptual answer, but Zak works out some contradicting math.
The animation in question:
https://gifer.com/en/Ajtn
Does Data Have Mass?
14 September, 2018
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Is your cell phone heavier when it has more data stored in memory? What about an SD card? Magnetic storage drive? Is there a difference?
Zak and Derek dive in to the physics of flash storage, and what that means for mass even on the smallest of small scales. Electron mass? Einstein mass-energy equivalence? Is there any change at all?
Original reddit post:
https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/74rboo/if_my_60_gb_phone_is_full_or_empty_is_there_any/
Maxwellâs demon:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxwell%27s_demon
Our Mathematical Universe, by Max Tegmark:
https://www.amazon.com/Our-Mathematical-Universe-Ultimate-Reality/dp/0307599809
Landing on Planets
6 September, 2018
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Derek and Zak question how a bug zapper works, complete with testing on yourselfâŠas only good scientists do!
They then explore a SF writerâs query on reddit, asking about the safety of people landing on planets by dropping to the surface while enclosed in spheres filled with water.
Intro to The Hyperfine Physics Podcast
30 August, 2018
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Derek and Zak introduce themselves and the podcast.
Join our listener community on Reddit at https://www.reddit.com/r/TheHyperfine/
Derek on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/LikeTortilla
Zak on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/EspleyZak
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperfine_structure
Three Blue, One Brown podcast: âBen Ben Blueâ https://www.benbenandblue.com/
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