Homely Scientist

Superballs and particle physics … who’da thunk it the perfect example!

Thanks to Laura for sending me this link …

Sony has some wild commercials for their new Bravia line of TVs. Laura sent me one involving superballs. Beyond the great music and amazing visuals, it hit me (hee hee) that watching thousands of superballs bouncing down the street is a fantastic analogy for how particles behave. They fly around, bouncing into each other, reacting with each other, coming to rest when they are out of energy, unless something hits them again and get a kick of energy. As you watch the commercial with your older kids, try to point this out … with the younger ones … well just enjoy thinking about what would happen if you dumped that many superballs down your street!