General Physics Thread

If it was available, it would firstly be used to fight the gravity well, then, if enough power is gained, to essentially power the country. The portal technology is only owned by one guy (in the dimension), though, so he'd have a lot of influence.

Also HOLY FaCKING SHeT!!!!!!!

So I'm writing a story, and one of the character has the ability to have limited control over friction.

When I ask what are some (of many) ways this power can be utilized, and one answer I consistently get is "super-speed."

I don't get it.

I mean, I know that if you don't have immunity against friction, you will get a lot of drag and even get set on fire when you reach superspeed. But how does it really help you reach that speed at the first place, other than being more aerodynamic, which I don't think makes a person that much faster?

I'm a (socialist) professional writer serializing a WWII alternate history webnovel.

Air resistance is probably the biggest factor in getting things to go faster. At least in stuff like cars and whatever.

Oh really when?

@Dimentiosome: In that case, you'll have to make up your physics, since in Real Life conservation of energy would still apply - and thus the need to consume energy to move stuff up a gravity well.

@dRoy: Reducing air and foot friction so that you can slide along a road without having to move anything (except when going uphill). Same with cars and other moving stuff.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman

Or other people, for that matter...

Keep Rolling On

So if you use friction to accelerate, that would make you look like a skater?

If you can control friction, is it possible to skate around on the non-smooth ground with just your boot? I heard that skating blades needs apparently blade rock to enable the skater to stop. I guess if you can control friction, you wouldn't need that?

I'm a (socialist) professional writer serializing a WWII alternate history webnovel.

Yes and yes. The only thing you need without all friction is energy to lift stuff.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman

Enabling bendable optoelectronics devices: Gallium nitride micro-rods grown on graphene substrates

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.

You could also increase friction to run up walls and stuff.

That would technically require increased adhesion.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman

Depends on the height. I was thinking more like advanced parkour and stuff. As long as there was a slight incline and you kept moving you should be able to run up anything. It'd take a bit of practice.

Are weak values quantum? Don't bet on it

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.

Nanotechnology leads to better, cheaper LEDs for phones and lighting

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.

Is it possible to collect condensation from clouds as a power source?

As in, to condensate the vapour in clouds and gaining energy from it? Well, you need to induce the condensation of the vapour somehow.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman

So the Bling Jet from Totally Spies Season 3 Episode 16: "Evil Airlines Much?," is possible?

edited 25th Sep '14 9:39:07 AM by HallowHawk

You'll have to explain how their system works. I can tell it's a thermodynamic cycle, but most of the models don't operate under the assumption that part of the involved gas is condensated.

"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman

Putting the squeeze on quantum information

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.

New technology may lead to prolonged power in mobile devices

Organic tin in polymers increases their light absorption

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.

Final proof for optimal encoding strategies in optical communication

New discovery could pave way for spin-based computing: Novel oxide-based magnetism follows electrical commands

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.

How would you convert that into power?

Hydroelectric dams are already one way we do this, by waiting for the water in the clouds to fall to the ground and flow into rivers, and then using their gravitational potential energy.

Alternatively, you could use the hydrogen in the water for fusion. But at least here on Earth, there's already a massive amount of liquid water around, so you normally wouldn't need to worry about clouds.

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'Cloaking' device uses ordinary lenses to hide objects across range of angles

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.

So I dunno if this is better for the general science thread or this one but what is zero point energy?

I've read it in comics and heard it come up a few times in movies and the like but I always thought it was just technobabble but apparently it's a thing.

I tried looking it up but all I got was equations and big words that I'm not smart enough to understand, can someone give me the layman's version?

Oh really when?

You can theoretically (so far) extract energy form empty space. This works using the fact that if you have two surfaces close enough that some wavelengths of radiation can't fit between them there will be more energy outside the plates than between them and they will move closer together.

You'd just need a way to harness this energy and some ridiculously tight tolerances on the production side to pull it off.

edited 28th Sep '14 6:53:35 PM by Jaustin89*

Now hear this: Simple fluid waveguide performs spectral analysis in a manner similar to the cochlea

Eating a Vanilluxe will give you frostbite.