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What is quantum weirdness?
Superman has his Bizarro planet, Alice tiptoes through the looking glass. For scientists, that world where normal rules and laws fail to explain what's happening is quantum physics. What's so weird about it?
EVERYDAY MYTHS
There are certain aspects of everyday science that we think of as fact, but in reality may be pure urban legend. In this section, you can learn about some of the everyday science myths you may encounter.
Stuff You Should Know
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How does saturation diving work?
In the news coverage of the Russian submarine accident, I read that the Norwegian salvage divers used a technique called saturation diving, whereby they could stay underwater for days to weeks at a time. How does saturation diving work? See more »
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If you could spin a carousel fast enough to get its rim moving at nearly the speed of light, would time stand still for people on the carousel?
If you could spin a carousel fast enough to get its rim moving at nearly the speed of light, would time stand still for people on the carousel? See more »
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What makes you dizzy when you spin?
I've wondered about this since I was a child and used to spin around and around. I know it has something to do with our ears, but what exactly makes people dizzy when they spin? See more »
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Why can boats made of steel float on water when a bar of steel sinks?
The standard definition of floating was first recorded by Archimedes and goes something like this: An object in a fluid experiences an upward force equal to the weight of the fluid displaced by the object. So how does the water get displaced to keep a boat afloat? See more »
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Would a balloon filled with vacuum instead of helium float?
A helium balloon rises because the helium is lighter than air. So how would a balloon -- made from a very sturdy but very lightweight material -- that had been removed of all air respond? See more »
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