In this article, the author explores the question: What if the Hokey-Pokey is "really" what it's all about? He suggests that people would make the Hokey-Pokey the supreme object of their professional enterprise. Everything they would do would be centered on an analysis of, and engagement with, the Hokey-Pokey. It would be the ultimate focus of…

We used Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to assess whether reading literal, non-literal (i.e., metaphorical, idiomatic) and fictive motion sentences modulates the activity of the motor system. Sentences were divided into three segments visually presented one at a time: the noun phrase, the verb and the final part of the sentence. Single…

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of expertise on motion anticipation. We conducted 2 experiments in which novices and expert pilots viewed simulated aircraft landing scenes. The scenes were interrupted by the display of a black screen and then started again after a forward or backward shift. The participant's task was to…

There are many ways to visualize flow, either for laminar or turbulent flows. A very convincing way to show laminar and turbulent flows is by the perturbations on the surface of a beam of water coming out of a cylindrical tube. Photographs, taken with a flash, show the nature of the flow of water in pipes. They clearly show the difference between…

Three variants of the rotational viscometer employing a dc motor are considered. The viscometers are highly suitable for liquids of high viscosity, such as glycerol or oils (that is, for [eta] in the range 10-1000 mPa s). The set-ups are very simple and can serve as a first step to designing devices that are more complicated. Experimentation with…

Object A is in circular motion relative to object B if object B is in circular motion relative to object A. A way of visualizing the relative circular motion of two objects is presented with a simple procedure for a classroom demonstration. (Contains 7 figures.)

Flight fascinates people of all ages. Recent advances in battery technology have extended the capabilities of model airplanes and toy helicopters. For those who have never outgrown a childhood enthusiasm for the wonders of flight, it is possible to buy inexpensive, remotely controlled planes and helicopters. A toy helicopter offers an opportunity…

Some physicists have pointed out that we do not know what force is. The most common definition of force in textbooks has been criticized for more than two centuries. Many studies have shown that the concept of force is a problem for teaching. How to conceive force on the basis of the concepts and criticism of force in the works of Newton, Euler,…

This paper was first motivated by the following question: "A pair of twins, R and S, each gives the "same" hard push on a block. R's block is on a rougher floor than S's. Who does more work?" It is shown that S will do more work on his block if there is no constraint on the distance over which the force is applied. On the other hand, if the…

The simple task of bouncing a ball on a racket offers a model system for studying how human actors exploit the physics and information of the environment to control their behavior. Previous work shows that people take advantage of a passively stable solution for ball bouncing but can also use perceptual information to actively stabilize bouncing.…

It has been suggested that representing an action through observation and imagery share neural processes with action execution. In support of this view, motor-priming research has shown that observing an action can influence action initiation. However, there is little motor-priming research showing that imagining an action can modulate action…

For both casual and avid fans alike, Olympic and other sporting events can provide a wealth of data for simple physics analyses. One of the most impressive performances in recent Olympic history is that of Usain Bolt in the track-and-field sprinting events during the 2008 Summer Games. Over a seven-day span, Bolt set world records in the 100-m and…

The earliest mechanical clocks appeared in Europe in the 13th century. From about 1250 CE to 1670 CE, these simple clocks consisted of a weight suspended from a rope or chain that was wrapped around a horizontal axle. To tell time, the weight must fall with a slow uniform speed, but, under the action of gravity alone, such a suspended weight would…

Charles Sherrington identified the properties of the synapse by purely behavioral means--the study of reflexes--more than 100 years ago. They were subsequently confirmed neurophysiologically. Studying reflex interaction, he also showed that activating one reflex often facilitates another, antagonistic one: "successive induction," which has since…

One may ask the question, What is energy? Typically the first answers that come to mind are oil, coal, and natural gas or nuclear energy. Most human activities require some form of energy consumption. This may be the energy produced by the food that one eats or the gasoline that is used in cars, trucks, buses, and other vehicles. One cannot ignore…