Video of the Week

When a long chain of metal beads is set into free-fall from a jar, the beads leap out of the jar in a fountain-like arc before falling towards the ground, apparently defying gravity. The reason, at first glance, is equally mind-boggling: there is an anomalous kicking force pushing the beads upwards and out of the jar!

In this video, physicists Mark Warner and John Biggins explain the physical mechanisms behind this counter-intuitive behaviour in a simple layman fashion with clear and easy-to-understand diagrams, illustrating the key ideas behind their RSPA paper .

The Video of the Week is a newly introduced feature. Each week, we will highlight a new physics-related video. The selected videos will cover a wide variety of issues, ranging from academic to pedagogical or even introspective in nature. Through these videos, we hope to inspire students, broaden the horizons of their physics knowledge and stimulate thinking and reflection. Stay tuned for more exciting videos in the coming weeks!

Archives