Entries by Greg Bernhardt

Interview with Engineer jrmichler

Today we get to know a little more about Engineering Mentor jrmichler! Tell us a bit about your education and academic years Two years college (UW-Madison) in electrical engineering. Burned out (two semesters of 21 credits, tired of poverty, needed to think some things through), dropped out, joined US Air Force. Four years later, had…

What Technology or Discovery Will Be the Most Revolutionary Within 20 Years?

We asked our advisors “What technology or scientific discovery will be the most revolutionary within the next 20 years?” Here are their responses… Demystifier “Machine learning will be ubiquitous, just as applications of traditional computer algorithms are ubiquitous now.” Ygggdrasil The ability for scientists to create “artificial gametes”—functional human sperm and eggs cells produced in…

Q&A Interview with Physicist Michio Kaku

Don’t forget to read Part 1 of this interview. Professor Kaku, what do you think of “peak oil,” how serious is it? and what alternative sources of energy do you think will best provide the worlds needs in the coming decades after fossil fuels start to decline? (whether it be organic oils, nuclear breeder-types, fusion…

Interview with Theoretical Physicist Michio Kaku

We are happy to have Michio Kaku answer some questions from the community. This interview was originally held in 2004. Michio Kaku is an American theoretical physicist, futurist, and popularizer of science (science communicator). He is a professor of theoretical physics in the City College of New York and CUNY Graduate Center. Kaku has written several books about physics and related topics, has made frequent…

Interview with Engineer Mentor anorlunda

Tell us about your school years? Part of my story is sad but common. I was a poor student. I didn’t pay attention, and I never did homework even once; until one day when it all flipped. That was the day I first learned about differential equations. Diffy-Q was so much fun, that it completely…

Interview with Physics Mentor bhobba

Give us an executive summary on bhobba I was born in Toowong Brisbane Australia 17/11/1955, and was raised in suburbs around Toowong – Toowong itself, Taringa and Indooroopilly. I went to 3 schools Taringa State School,. Toowong High and Indooroopilly High. I now live in Redland Bay Queensland Australia. It is about halfway between Brisbane…

Interview with Niels Tuning a LHCb Run Coordinator

Physics Forums is pleased to introduce Niels Tuning. He’s a physicist working as the Run Coordinator for the LHCb experiment at CERN. Apart from the questions below you can learn more about him at his website. Niels Tuning also has an active Twitter account here. Please give us a bit of background on your life, education and…

Interview with Astrophysicist Adam Becker

Adam Becker is an astrophysicist and science writer whose first book “What Is Real?: The Unfinished Quest for the Meaning of Quantum Physics” just hit the bookshelves! Give us some background on how you got interested in physics and some experiences in youth/school that were formative.  I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t interested…

Interview with Theoretical Physicist Clifford V. Johnson

Clifford V. Johnson is a professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department at the USC. “I mainly work on  (super)string theory, gravity, gauge theory and M-theory right now, which lead me to think about things like space-time, quantum mechanics, black holes, the big bang, extra dimensions, quarks, gluons, and so forth.” Clifford V. Johnson runs a…

Interview with Biologist Jim McNamara

What got you interested in biology? I was an amateur naturalist as a kid. Had collections of all sorts, and a small menagerie — much to my mother’s dismay when an anole got loose in the basement. I  graduated from college with a double major – Biology and Chemistry. Tell us about your research at…

Interview with Astronomer Pamela Gay

Please give us a bit of background into your educational and professional life. I’m a public school kid through and through. After going to the local high school where I grew up in Westford, Massachusetts, I attended Michigan State University to get Bachelors degree in astrophysics (with several extra classes in Computer Science). From snowy…

Interview with Theoretical Physicist: Sabine Hossenfelder

We are pleased to introduce Sabine Hossenfelder. Sabine is a theoretical physicist from the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies. Sabine also authors a very popular physics blog called backreaction. Reading your blog over the past 6 months or so, one gets a feeling that your views about (particle) dark matter versus modified gravity have changed during that…

Interview with Mathematician Fresh_42

We are please to introduce our newest member of the mentor group, fresh_42! Can you give us a brief bio? I studied mathematics and economy and always worked in the periphery of IT. Often as a programmer on various platforms and in various languages, but as well on a hotline, as a software designer, project-,…

PF Insight Scavenger Hunt 2

We have an amazing count of over 320 Insights published at Physics Forums. Now we test to see how much you remember from some of them. If you need a hint feel free to read the corresponding Insight which is linked at the end of the question. Good Luck and remember to read future Insights…

NASA Quiz and Trivia: Test Your NASA Knowledge

Since the mid 20th century NASA has been a force in aerospace research and programs. Let’s find out just how much you know about it’s history, programs and research.  Don’t forget to post your score in the forum thread. No prizes, so don’t Google it. :) Ready for your next quiz? How well do you know…

Interview with Instrument Engineer Jim Hardy

Give us a little background on Jim Hardy Born and raised in Miami Florida of parents with roots in Springfield Missouri . So at heart i’m a small town midwestern fellow. Miami was small in the 1950’s but it became cosmopolitan and outgrew me. I spent a career working in the nuclear plant south of…

Interview with Physics Mentor: Stevendaryl

Give us a brief history on stevendaryl I was born and raised in the American South, mostly living in Georgia. It’s a Southern tradition, for some reason, for kids to be called by their middle name, so my friends call me “Daryl” even though my first name is “Steven”. I grew up in a family…

Interview with Physicist David Hestenes

For those who don’t know the great David Hestenes, he is the inventor of the geometric algebra formalism of physics. Here we go! 1) What is the best application of geometric algebra in theoretical physics that you can think of? In other words, what application shows the power and elegance of geometric algebra best? The…

Interview with Science Advisor DrChinese

We are pleased to share with you an interview with PF Science Advisor and one of our founding members: DrChinese Who is DrChinese and share some early experience that got you interested in science. I am a Dallas, Texas, USA boy, now married with grown kids. I got very interested in science at a private…

Interview with Physicist David J. Griffiths

We are pleased to introduce David J. Griffiths. Professor Griffiths is one of the most successful physics textbook writers.  Odds are if you studied physics in college, you’ve used one of his textbooks. We are pleased and honored to obtain some of his insights on the quantum and academic world. Here we go! Please give us a…

Interview with a Physics Mentor: Nugatory

Give us a little background on yourself? I was born in Washington DC, grew up in Texas, bachelor’s in physics from Harvard in 1978 but found a career in system software instead. Son of two law professors and grandson of a third, raised a Quaker although it didn’t stick, keep a small fleet of well-rusted…

Interview with a Physicist: Sean Carroll

We are pleased to introduce Sean Carroll! Sean Carroll is a theoretical physicist at Caltech, specializing in cosmology and quantum mechanics. Sean has a new book out called The Big Picture, where the topic is “On the Origins of Life, Meaning, and the Universe Itself”. Key Points Sean Carroll’s educational journey took him from suburban Philadelphia to Villanova University,…

MathJax Developer: Peter Krautzberger

We are pleased to introduce Peter Krautzberger.  Peter is a manager for MathJax.  MathJax is the technology behind the display of equations on Physics Forums. “The core of the MathJax project is the development of its state-of-the-art, open source, JavaScript platform for display of mathematics.” Please give us a bit background on yourself from growing up…

Interview with Chemical Physicist: DrClaude

DrClaude is a mentor at Physics Forums!   What brought you to Sweden from Canada? Life, the Universe, and Everything. While in Canada, I was offered the opportunity to do part of my studies in France. After my Ph.D., I stayed in France for postdoctoral work. I tried getting an academic position in France, but…

Interview with a Physics Mentor: PeterDonis

PeterDonis is a Physics Mentor at Physics Forums   Give us a little background on PeterDonis I have been interested in science since childhood. I have two degrees in Nuclear Engineering, but they were actually in the field of fusion, not fission, so they might just as well have been labeled as degrees in plasma…

Interview with Theoretical Physicist Carlo Rovelli

Please give us a bit of background on your life and professional experience ​Life: Born educated in Italy,​ then 10 years in the States and 15 in France. I got to physics late: before I was more into the hippies dreams or trying to overthrow the Italian government. Professional: in my third university year I…

PF Insights Scavenger Hunt

Have you been keeping up with reading each PF Insight? Let’s find out! Every question’s answer can be found in a PF Insight. Hint links are included if you need help.  Be sure to post your score in the comment area.

Interview with a Chemist: Borek

Give us a brief history of Borek Note: text below is of a negative pedagogical value, don’t read it if you are younger than 20, attending school or still naïvely hoping for the best. I was born half a century ago, in a galaxy far, far away. So far away our laws were all shifted…

Interview with a Physicist: ZapperZ

This is a new Interview category for Insights. While I line up some great new interviews I’ll be migrating some previous mentor interviews. ZapperZ is a staff emeritus at Physics Forums   Can you give us a brief history of ZapperZ? Without reveal things that are answers to a few of the security questions to my accounts, I would say…

Which Scientist Said What Quiz

Think you know your famous science quotes? Let’s find out in this 12 question quiz. There are no prizes, so it doesn’t pay to Google. Try your best on your own. Report your score in the comment area at the bottom. Good luck!

Interview with a Biophysicist: Andy Resnick

Let me introduce you to Andy Resnick, a long time Science Advisor at Physics Forums.   Tell us a little bit about how you developed an interest in biophysics That’s a good question, and I’m not sure how to answer. I’ve worked in the ‘in-between space’ for many years- for example, optics is in-between physics…

Interview with a Physicist: Doc Al

This is a new Interview category for Insights. While I line up some great new interviews I’ll be migrating some previous mentor interviews. Doc Al is a physics mentor for Physics Forums Can you give us a brief bio? Okay. It was never easy for me. I was born a poor black child. I remember the days,…

Interview with an Engineer: Russ Watters

This is a new Interview category for Insights. While I line up some great new interviews I’ll be migrating some previous mentor interviews. Russ Watters is an engineering mentor for Physics Forums Can you give us a brief bio? I’m 37, I live outside of Philadelphia and I have a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Drexel…

Ice Quiz: All About Ice Trivia

Winter is coming. First day of Winter is December 22nd. Time to learn a bit about a substance that the northern regions will encounter. Don’t forget to share your score in the comment section. Ready for your next quiz? How well do you know about the ice planet Pluto? 1. What is Ice? Ice is…

Pluto Quiz: Think You Know Pluto?

Pluto has been in the news quite a bit these past several months. Let’s see if you’ve been paying attention. Feel free to share your score in the comments section. When finished head over to our Pluto Flyby forum thread for the latest news. Ready for your next quiz? How well do you know ice?

What Is Evolution and How Does It Happen?

What is evolution? In every field of scientific endeavor, there comes now and then a quantum shift in knowledge, a grand denouement of the way things really are. In physics, we have Newton’s laws of mechanics, Einstein’s theories of Relativity, and the new theories of Quantum Mechanics. In Biology, we have the discovery of DNA…

LHC Quiz: Think You Know about the LHC?

News of the LHC progress has dazzled scientists and hobbyists alike. It’s now time to show just how much you know about the operation. Please share your results Ready for your next quiz? How well do you know about the Periodic Table of Elements? 1. What is the Large Hadron Collider (LHC)? The Large Hadron…

Physics Blogs You Need to Be Reading

These are some of the best physics blogs, updated regularly, written by some of the top minds. The feeds are updated on page refresh, so bookmark this page and you’ll have a quick overview of all the blog’s latest entries each time you visit here. We also asked our community advisors which physics blogs they recommended….

It’s Elemental! The Periodic Table Quiz

The periodic table is something we all are made aware of early in schooling, but have you really looked at it closely and learned about it’s lessor known facts? Let’s find out! Ready for your next quiz? How well do you know about the LHC? 1. What is the Periodic Table? The Periodic Table is…

7 Basic Space Law Questions Explored

*This Insight is intended to have a logical basis but not to be taken as purely factual or legal advice. Key Points Outer Space Treaty does not provide clear guidance on legality of satellite–based lasers One should apply to the ITU when planning a telecommunication satellite Do not interfere with remote sensing activities of other states…

The New Bioethics: A 21st Century Overview

Key Points Worrying about the future now means recognizing the advances in technology, such as genetic engineering, that have arisen. There is a standard of health that fluctuates depending on relative perceptions of different biological variations on the human species that may emerge. We must be careful when using new technologies and understand their implications,…

Learn Solar Eclipse Viewing Basics

Key Points NEVER view the sun with the naked eye for any length of time, as doing so may cause irreversible eye damage or blindness. ONLY totality is viewable with the naked eye, all other phases of the eclipse should not be viewed with the naked eye. When viewing a solar eclipse, use two pieces…

What are the Fates of Massive Stars

Key Points Stars are born in primordial nebulae, gaseous molecular clouds on the spiral arms of galaxies Stars smaller than 1.4 suns will settle into a white dwarf and eventually become a black dwarf Stars greater than 1.4 suns will undergo a much more violent death, as their nuclear fuel is exhausted and their core…

Physics Forums Crackpot Index and Bingo

Discussing science online can often be a frustrating experience if no quality controls are in place, which is often the case. As part useful reference and part entertainment PF has put together an adequate list of common attributes associated with dubious scientific discussion. Next time you’re in a discussion, check this list to see if…

Learn the Physics of Hand-to-Hand Combat

Key Points  Martial arts effectively use principles of physics to achieve goals quickly and forcefully. Athletic intelligence enables humans to quickly adapt to physical laws of nature. The most successful styles used by military forces rely heavily on physics. Acceleration, force, momentum, and energy are all integral aspects of martial arts. Jiu–Jitsu and Muy Thai…

Interview with Mentor Integral

Meet a Mentor is a biweekly (twice a week) series to help you get to know your wonderful Mentors better. Constructive questions and comments are welcome! Today we meet: Integral Can you give us a brief bio? I am a 2nd generation Oregonian born smack in the middle of the 20th century. My dad came to…

Interview with Astrophysicist D H

Meet a Mentor is a series to help you get to know your wonderful Mentors better. Constructive questions and comments are welcome! Today we meet: D H Give us a brief history of D H I spent my childhood in Minnesota, the first nine years in Minneapolis and the last nine on a farm. I…

Interview with Physicist George Jones

Meet a Mentor is a weekly series to help you get to know your wonderful Mentors better. Constructive questions and comments are welcome! Today we meet: George Jones Give us a brief history of George Jones. On my mother’s side, my roots in Canada have been traced back to the late 1600s; on my father’s side,…

Interview with Mentor Evo

Meet a Mentor is a biweekly (twice a week) series to help you get to know your wonderful Mentors better. Constructive questions and comments are welcome! Today we meet: Evo Can you give us a brief bio? I’ve been in love with science as long as I can remember. As soon as I began to read…

Interview with Mentor LisaB

Meet a Mentor is a fun series to help you get to know your wonderful Mentors better. Constructive questions and comments are welcome! Today we meet: Lisab Give us a brief history of lisab I didn’t follow the usual education route. I dropped out of school in about 8th grade to hang out with my hoodlum…

Interview with Biologist Ryan_m_b

Meet a Mentor is a fun series to help you get to know your wonderful Mentors better. Constructive questions and comments are welcome! Today we meet: @Ryan_m_b Give us a brief history of Ryan_m_b I’m in my mid-twenties, spent most of my life living in a small town on the border of the country side but…

Interview with Mathematician Mark44

Meet a Mentor is a series to help you get to know your wonderful Mentors better. Constructive questions and comments are welcome! Today we meet: Mark44 How did you become interested in mathematics? Along about 4th grade I came across an algebra textbook that really fascinated me, with all of its x’s and y’s, and symbols…

Interview with Physicist jtbell

Meet a Mentor is a weekly series to help you get to know your wonderful Mentors better. Constructive questions and comments are welcome! Today we meet: jtbell Can you give us a brief history of jtbell? I went to a liberal-arts college in a small town (a village, actually) in the Midwest US. There were only…

Interview with Physicist Dale

Meet a Mentor is a fun series to help you get to know your wonderful Mentors better. Constructive questions and comments are welcome! Today we meet: DaleSpam Give us a brief history of DaleSpam I have moved around a decent amount during my life: Arizona, Indiana, Colorado, Texas, Michigan, Utah, Ohio, and North Carolina. With all…

Interview with Engineer Chestermiller

Meet a Mentor is a fun series to help you get to know your wonderful Mentors better. Constructive questions and comments are welcome! Today we meet: @Chestermiller Give us a brief history of Chestermiller Born Jan., 1942, Brooklyn, NY Samuel J. Tilden HS, graduated June 1959 (Capt. Math Team) Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science…

Evolution Frequently Asked Questions for Beginners

Key Points Evolution is a theory, which is the foundation of science 2. Evolution is the most rational explanation for the existence of life Creationism stems from denial and dogma, not evidence Intelligent Design is an attempt to shoehorn a God into the theory of evolution Evolution does not necessarily clash with religion The second…

5 Pieces of Evidence that Support Theory of Evolution

Evidence for evolution First, read: What is Evolution: A Beginner’s Guide, What Is Evolution and How Does It Happen?, Evolution FAQ Key Points  Fossil record shows an increasing trend in complexity and similarity to modern creatures, suggesting a common ancestor Interspecies variation shows that parts of genomes that are the same code for characteristics that…

Studio in a Box: Learn About Digital Modeling Amplifiers

Key Points  Digital Signal Processing (DSP) was introduced in the mid–Seventies, allowing musicians to simulate the acoustic properties of instruments and analog effects. Up until recently, a guitarist’s sounds were limited to the gear available, requiring vintage gear for certain sounds. Recent advances in microprocessor power have allowed current amplifiers to closely match the sound…