- #1
Vagulus
- 3
- 8
Here is an issue to distract the scientific mind for a restful Festive Season.
This is a gumnut.
They fall from trees round here (Perth, Western Australia) by the tonne. They are quite small (about 9 mm in diameter) and the pointy end is sharp. You do not want to stand on the pointy end.
This is a pair of thongs.
You might call them flip-flops, jandals, japanese safety boots, whatever. They are popular footwear around here in the summer.
My problem is that when I am walking down the street, every now and then a gumnut jumps onto the sole of one of my thongs. It always lands round (flat) end down and pointy end up. This can be painful :( so I try to get rid of it. However, that is not easy. Shaking my foot attempting to dislodge the gumnut results in the gumnut snuggling further onto the sole of the thong, working its way steadily to lodge under the ball of my foot. This is extremely painful |[ It is also counter-intuitive.
My question is, what laws of physics (apart from Murphy's) decree that the gumnut will exhibit that behaviour?
This is a gumnut.
They fall from trees round here (Perth, Western Australia) by the tonne. They are quite small (about 9 mm in diameter) and the pointy end is sharp. You do not want to stand on the pointy end.
This is a pair of thongs.
You might call them flip-flops, jandals, japanese safety boots, whatever. They are popular footwear around here in the summer.
My problem is that when I am walking down the street, every now and then a gumnut jumps onto the sole of one of my thongs. It always lands round (flat) end down and pointy end up. This can be painful :( so I try to get rid of it. However, that is not easy. Shaking my foot attempting to dislodge the gumnut results in the gumnut snuggling further onto the sole of the thong, working its way steadily to lodge under the ball of my foot. This is extremely painful |[ It is also counter-intuitive.
My question is, what laws of physics (apart from Murphy's) decree that the gumnut will exhibit that behaviour?