This is a series of posts that will talk about my favorite songs that are about famous people. See if you agree with any of these!
“Vincent,” written and performed by American singer-songwriter Don McLean, was released in 1971 on his landmark album American Pie. The song, sometimes subtitled “Starry, Starry Night,” is a poignant tribute to the Dutch post-impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh, whose tragic life and luminous art deeply moved McLean.
You can’t tell the difference between being at rest in a gravitational field and being accelerated in space.
The Equivalence Principle is a fundamental concept in physics, particularly in the theory of general relativity[1] developed by Albert Einstein. In simple terms, it states that the effects of gravity are indistinguishable from the effects of acceleration. This principle can be broken down into two main ideas: the Weak Equivalence Principle and the Strong Equivalence Principle. Imagine you’re in an elevator.
Gravitational lensing occurs when a massive celestial body — such as a galaxy cluster — causes a sufficient curvature of spacetime for the path of light around it to be visibly bent, as if by a lens. The body causing the light to curve is accordingly called a gravitational lens.
Gravitational lenses are one of the most fascinating phenomena predicted by Einstein’s theory of general relativity. Imagine space as a fabric, and massive objects like stars and galaxies as weights pressing down on this fabric, creating curves and warps.
Pi Day (March 14) was celebrated for the first time in 1988 by American physicist Larry Shaw.
Pi (often represented by the lower-case Greek letter π), one of the most well-known mathematical constants, is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. For any circle, the distance around the edge is a little more than three times the distance across. Typing π into a calculator and pressing ENTER will yield the result 3.141592654, not because this value is exact, but because a calculator’s display is often limited to 10 digits.
Possible White Hole spotted?
A white hole is a hypothetical astronomical object that is the reverse of a black hole. While a black hole is known for its immense gravitational pull, which prevents anything, including light, from escaping its event horizon, a white hole is theorized to be a region of spacetime from which matter and energy can only emerge.
What Is Planck’s Constant?
What is a constant? In mathematics and science, a constant is a fixed value that remains unchanged throughout an equation, experiment, or mathematical operation. Constants are pivotal in providing stability and consistency to calculations and observations, playing a fundamental role in various fields of study.
Cosmic inflation is a theory of exponential expansion of space in the early universe, believed to have lasted from 1036 seconds to between 1033 and 1032 seconds after the Big Bang.
Inflation is a concept in cosmology that refers to a period of rapid expansion of the universe in its early stages. It is a theory proposed to explain several observed features of the universe, such as its overall homogeneity, isotropy, and the absence of certain types of relics.
A kilonova is an astronomical event that occurs when two neutron stars collide.
One of the most significant astronomical events in recent history occurred on August 17, 2017, when astronomers detected the collision of two neutron stars some 130 million light-years away.
Some ideas to help you celebrate the day: Place a Newton ornament on the tree. Discuss the merits of calculus over the dinner table. Use a telescope to view the night sky. Drop some unwanted gifts off the top of a tall building to test the theory of gravity.
If you don’t celebrate Christmas or want an additional holiday, I might suggest Newtonmas. Sir Isaac Newton was born on December 25, 1642. This would be perfect for public schools that don’t allow religion-based ideas. I mean, look at that hair, he looks like he’s ready to start partying!
What was happening 100 years ago this year?
We made it, through another year of the Covid pandemic, worsening at the end of 2021 with the Omicron variant. But it’s 2022. I never thought, as a child, that we would ever make it this far. I thought this would be a good time to look back 100 years to 1922.
