Have you ever read a book where a fantastical event occurs and thought, “Wait, that can’t really happen…can it?” I’m going to go ahead an assume you answered yes. Did you ever then actually stop and give it some thought to figure out if the event described was at all physically possible? I’m going to go out on a limb and guess most of you answered no.
You know who didn’t answer no? Masters physics students at the University of Leicester. Under the tutelage of Professor Mervyn Roy, these students write, edit, review, and publish The Journal of Physics Special Topics. The goal of the journal is to teach the students not only about the process of academic publishing, but also how to think critically. For example, one of the papers published recently was entitled, “James’ Giant Peach Transport Across the Atlantic”. In it, students researched the feasibility of whether or not 501 seagulls could lift a giant peach and fly it across part of the Atlantic ocean. Spoiler alert: they can’t.
While that may seem like a downer to some, I love the fact that these students are sharpening their inquiry skills in such an imaginative way. Check out other papers from last fall’s edition on topics such as Breaking Bad, War of the Worlds, James Bond, and my personal favorite “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves.
And now for your weekly dose of geek:
Lastly, I leave you with this: Parasitic wasp stalks roaches, stings them, injects their brains with neurotransmitters, steers them to her lair, and lays egg. Resulting larva then burrows inside STILL LIVING roach and feeds on its insides. May you never be reincarnated as a roach. @Summer_Ash
Summer Ash Recommended
