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Why does a spherical magnet fall so slowly through an aluminum tube?
[Video Link] To explain the perplexing phenomenon of why a spherical magnet falls so slowly through an aluminum tube, I must refer to the right-handed-corkscrew rule. When I first encountered this...
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Perform Mulholland's mind-reading mystery
When I performed this trick with a friend at a party, some people were still nagging me to explain it a week later. To an observer, it looks like this. The magician is blindfolded and faces a wall...
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The sad old motels of Barstow, California
Back in the days before cars were air-conditioned, Barstow, California was a popular stopover for travelers who arrived exhausted and thirsty from crossing the Mojave desert. Chuck Berry included...
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An electronic gadget to silence loudmouths
Back in the early days of Silicon Valley, when bad behavior may have been forgiven a little more readily than it is today, a legendary engineer named Bob Widlar was so intolerant of defective parts and...
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Strange thrust: the unproven science that could propel our children into space
Ever since I was old enough to read science fiction, I've wanted to visit Mars. Even the Moon would be better than nothing. Alas, rocket technology is unlikely to take me there within my lifetime. The...
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