Physics
2 breaks
Forces, light, time and the odd behaviour of the very small.
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Why a spinning ball curves in mid-air: the Magnus effect
Clip a football with the side of your boot and it bends around a wall with nothing touching it in the air. A spinning ball drags air around with its surface…
Why a tossed tennis racket flips: the intermediate axis theorem
Spin a tennis racket about its handle or its face and it flies cleanly. Spin it about the third axis and it flips, even in orbit where nothing pushes on it…