Most Mind Bending Physics Facts
For some of us, physics was something we dreaded at school, abandoning our studies in it at the earliest opportunity, all before reaching adulthood and realising that this particular branch of science is arguably the coolest. Fortunately, there are graduates, postgrads and doctors who had more foresight than people like this humble writer and made the study of physics their life’s work. Here are some of the unbelievably cool things about physics that we have learned because of people like them.
1. Relativity Makes Space Travellers Younger (Kinda)
Both velocity and gravity have an effect on the speed of time; the higher they are, the slower time passes. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS) (who are in reduced gravity compared to people on Earth but travelling at increased speed around it) experience time more slowly, at a rate of roughly 1 second ‘lost’ every 747 days.
2. Without E=MC2 GPS Would Malfunction
The satellite navigation in your car or on your phone relies on a series of geostationary satellites to pinpoint your location, exchanging data using radio waves. Because of the theory of relativity, the speed at which the satellites’ onboard clocks tick is around 38,000 nanoseconds faster than clocks on the ground. Every time data is sent to the receiving device, a calculation must be applied to correct the timings to within the required 20-30 nanosecond accuracy.
Leave a Comment