The ESA Rosetta Mission, launched in March 2004, rendezvoused with comet 67P/C-G in August 2014. The lander Philae touched down on the comet on 12 November and came to rest after bouncing twice (the harpoon tethers and cold gas retro-jet failed to fire). Rosetta was in orbit around the comet and, after detatchment, the lander … Continue reading Falling Bodies [2]: Philae
Month: November 2014
Earth’s Shape and Spin Won’t Make You Thin
Using a simple pendulum we can determine the shape of the Earth. That amazing story is told in this week’s That’s Maths column in The Irish Times (TM057 or search for “thatsmaths” at http://www.irishtimes.com ). Many of us struggle to lose weight, or at least to keep our weight within a manageable range. There is no … Continue reading Earth’s Shape and Spin Won’t Make You Thin
Falling Bodies [1]: Sky-diving
Aristotle was clear: heavy bodies fall faster than light ones. He arrived at this conclusion by pure reasoning, without experiment. Today we insist on a physical demonstration before such a conclusion is accepted. Galileo tested Aristotle's theory: he dropped bodies of different weights simultaneously from the Leaning Tower of Pisa and found that, to a … Continue reading Falling Bodies [1]: Sky-diving
El Niño likely this Winter
This week’s That’s Maths column in The Irish Times (TM056 or search for “thatsmaths” at irishtimes.com) is about El Niño and the ENSO phenomenon. In 1997-98, abnormally high ocean temperatures off South America caused a collapse of the anchovy fisheries. Anchovies are a vital link in the food-chain and shortages can bring great hardship. Weather … Continue reading El Niño likely this Winter
ThatsMaths 