Physics Girl

Science and Nature Series / 4 Seasons

Join host Dianna Cowern as she puts her MIT physics degree to the test. With experiments, demonstrations, and cool new discoveries, Physics Girl sheds new light on the fun, adventurous side of physical science.

3m 28s

How does laser cooling work?

S1 E21 / 5m 27s

How can light be used to cool atoms and molecules? Lasers are known to burn things, fix eyes, and dance on powerpoint presentations. But they can also be used to cool objects to some of the coldest temperatures in the universe.

How science explains monster waves

S1 E23 / 5m 49s

Rogue waves - enormous, spontaneous surface waves in the open ocean - were once the tall tales of sailors. They are waves that reach 2-3x taller than the largest average waves in the area, reaching heights of 100ft. With the help of a ESA satellite survey, the scientific community now accepts they happen frequently. What causes rogue waves?

Bizarre spinning toys

S1 E24 / 4m 56s

Spinning toys and tops have unusual behaviors. The famous tippe top flips itself over and spins on its stem. The PhiTOP stands up on its end, which you can also do with a hard-boiled egg. These behaviors all have to do with torque and angular momentum, like a bicycle wheel precessing around a rope due to gyroscopic behavior.

How SMOOTHNESS of a SOCCER BALL affects curve

S1 E25 / 5m 44s

Curving and bending a ball using the magnus effect is common in every sport. The effect can be reversed though - kick the ball the same way, and it will bend in the opposite direction!

World's Easiest DIY Electric Train

S1 E26 / 5m 44s

How do you take copper wire, a battery and magnets and make electric train? With science! This super simple DIY physics demo uses electromagnetic induction to propel a train made of magnets and batteries.

Exploding soda cans with electromagnets in SLOW MOTION ft Joe Hanson

S1 E27 / 7m 55s

Watch a soda can rip itself apart in a fiery explosion at 11,000fps with a Phantom high speed camera. Running a current through a coil, produces an electromagnet. Turn up the voltage in this experiment, and make that current strong enough, and your electromagnet can rip a soda can in half. Or rather, make the can rip itself in half!

Should you go to Mars? ft Bill Nye

S1 E28 / 9m 4s

Would you take a trip to Mars knowing the risks? What if it were a one way trip? Should we colonize Mars? I took a trip over to the Planetary Society to meet with CEO and Science Guy, Bill Nye to discuss the potential for future human travel and exploration to Mars.

How to shrink a quarter with electricity

S1 E29 / 7m 48s

How an 8000V electromagnet can be used to shrink a quarter. The interplay between electric and magnetic forces leads to the Lorentz Force and Faraday’s law of induction which can be used to shrink a quarter, or any other type of metal coin.

What are antibubbles?

S1 E31 / 6m 11s

Learn how to make antibubbles and the science behind these fun, unusual spheres. Antibubbles are a spherical shell of air enclosing a droplet of water, all submerged in water. Just the opposite of a bubble!

Does height matter in sports?

S1 E32 / 6m 35s

Some sports attract tall athletes and some are dominated by athletes with a shorter stature. The study of allometry investigates how strength scales with height. According to science, what are the reasons that certain sports attract tall or short athletes?

Calculating Pi with Darts

S1 E925 / 5m 47s

Pi can be calculated using a random sample of darts thrown at a square and circle target. The problem with this method lies in attempting to throw "randomly." We explored different ways to overcome our errors.

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