Reference Frames
21 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 1 year ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingReference Frames is a Physics podcast in which co-hosts Ian and Will seek to educate and entertain listeners about various Physics principles by using easy-to-understand popular media.Tweet at us with your Physics thoughts and questions! @PodcastFrames
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Episodes
#21 Somewhere Under(standing) the Rainbow
November 14, 2022 23:00 - 41 minutes - 28.7 MBAfter her house lands on a witch somewhere over the rainbow, young Dorothy must walk the yellow brick road in her ruby slippers to the emerald city. Once there, she will turn away her blues by clicking her heels together and chanting "there's no place like home!" But how do these colors come into existence? That's the subject for learning in this episode of Reference Frames! Topics of Discussion Happy birthday? Andor AND Rings of Power (shocking) Dorothy's trip to Oz Colors! Will's a b...
#20 2001: A Space Orbit
October 02, 2022 18:00 - 41 minutes - 28.2 MBEveryone knows the famous horns of Strauss's Also sprach Zarathustra thanks, primarily, to its presence in Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. When used, the viewer is witnessing the advancement of technology -- from bone tools to satellites seemingly floating above the big blue ball called Earth. But Kubrick's vision of the future wasn't unfounded. The ships, floating effortlessly and motionless above Earth, are simply in orbit -- a physics principle that kept the astronauts of Apollo ...
#19 Frodo's Refracting Falls
September 05, 2022 20:00 - 34 minutes - 23.9 MBAfter being caught in Ithilien, Sam and Frodo are blindfolded and taken to the hidden refuge of Henneth Annûn to be questioned by Captain Faramir. Upon removing the blindfolds, Sam and Frodo are dazzled by a plethora of chromatics cascading from the The Window of Sunset. Will and Ian dive deep into the wondrous world of scattering sunlight and the beautiful colors contained within. Video on why light slows down in water Video on why light changes its direction of travel in water Topics Inc...
#18 DISCLAIMER: DO NOT LICK FROZEN FLAGPOLES
August 22, 2022 01:00 - 34 minutes - 23.9 MBWhen Flick is triple dog dared to touch his tongue to the frozen flagpole in his school's courtyard, it's his honor on the line. With his friends watching, he cautiously places his tongue on the pole, before realizing (a moment too late) that the warmth of his body is not enough to keep his saliva unfrozen and separate from the pole. In this episode we learn about temperature, in particular the phenomenon of conduction! Topics of Discussion: Apologies to Matt Discussions of Disclaimers A...
#17 The Visual Suspects
August 09, 2022 01:00 - 33 minutes - 23 MBFollowing a truck hijack in New York, five criminals are arrested and brought together for questioning. The men stare into bright lights and a bright mirror. Behind the mirror, officers stand in a dark room, judging the way they read the provided lines. but why can't the criminals see the police? And why can the police see the criminals? Today on Reference Frames, we talk about one-way mirrors! Discussion Topics The midsummer Reference Frames break Sword in the Stone vs Excalibur? The Us...
#16 Scott Lang Fights Mathematical Realities
June 13, 2022 10:00 - 34 minutes - 24 MBIt takes a man like Paul Rudd to pull of Ant-Man. And it takes a team of quantum powered heroes to save the day via building shrinking and Pez-dispenser-growing powers. But there's a trick about changing the scale of an object -- and that's exactly what Will and Ian explore in this episode! Topics Include How great LOST is The lore of Toy Story A Star Wars fight Ant-Man and the Wasp and the Square-Cube Law Ian's failure to come up with real life examples Airships! Where do days, hour...
#15 If You Can Dodge a Wrench, You Actually CAN Dodge a Ball
May 29, 2022 16:00 - 31 minutes - 21.4 MBWhen Patches O'Houlihan shows up to train a raggedy group of gym rats, the first thing he does is tell them "If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball." Most people laugh at this line, but upon deeper reflection, it becomes obvious that Patches is, himself, a physics enthusiast, and is exactly right. Today we talk projectile motion and how our brains are able to rapidly process things flying through the air! Topics Include Kenobi and Ian's woes watching Star Wars Dr. Strange and Ian...
#14 Batman Begins to Understand State Changes
April 24, 2022 04:00 - 35 minutes - 24.4 MBWhen Bruce Wayne dons the mask and cape to become the Batman, he not only needs to master many forensic and martial arts. His understanding of the natural world and its phenomena must be top tier! When the League of Shadows threatens Gotham, Batman knows that the microwave emitter is turning water into steam and aerosolizing a fear-toxin! Thanks to his scientific knowledge, Gotham is saved by its masked knight. Today on Reference Frames, we use the caped crusader's escapades to learn about s...
#13 Marty McFlies with the Power of Rock
March 27, 2022 17:00 - 34 minutes - 23.8 MBBefore Marty McFly is flung into the past, he is first flung into a bookshelf after blowing out a stack of guitar amplifiers. Will and Ian learn about sound and whether or not young Marty could have been launched as a result of a sick power chord. Contact Us: @podcastframes Topics Include The new lord of the rings show Spiders in movies = bad Doc's house Sound, of course Cars with sick sound systems Ultrasound for creation and destruction Acoustic Levitation How are instruments dif...
#12 The Pressure's On: When Aliens Meet Airlocks
March 13, 2022 16:00 - 30 minutes - 21.2 MBHow is it that Ellen Ripley is able to glass an Alien by simply opening the airlock in a spaceship? That's what Will and Ian talk about on this episode, along with a plethora of other conversation topics. Topics Include: Will's conference Different Network Analysis for different industries Ellen Ripley and the defeat of a Xenomorph Dolphin hands! Ships filled with water Time Turners Fun measurement types
#11 Marta's Magnet and the Erased Security Footage
February 14, 2022 11:00 - 32 minutes - 22.3 MBWhen Marta Cabrera accidentally kills esteemed mystery novelist Harlan Thrombey, she must outsmart and outmaneuver private investigator Benoit Blanc. In particularly cunning scene, Marta scrambles the contents of a security tape using nothing but a magnet. How can this be? In this episode, we learn about magnets, magnetic fields, and their usage in modern life. Topics Include A follow up on the stew Ian's poor social media execution Bobo Fett Lord of the Rings (nerds) Daniel Craig's accent ...
#10 Archimedes' Preciousss Principle
January 30, 2022 19:00 - 28 minutes - 19.5 MBWhen Gollum snatches the One Ring from Frodo (along with a finger to boot), he unfortunately plummets to the liquid rock below. Before his ultimate demise, Gollum hoists the One Ring overhead while he bobs briefly in the lava. But what is bobbing? And how do things float? Will explains to us Archimedes' Principle and we discuss where it is found in the real world through the lens of one of the the greatest novel/movie trilogies! Topics: Will's Birthday! Not doxxing our friends Sad lunches a...
#9 Conservation Robot Conserving Momentum
January 17, 2022 10:00 - 26 minutes - 17.9 MBWhen the last hope for humanity is ejected in an escape pod, it takes the plucky robot Wall-E to rescue it -- and himself -- by propelling himself through space using naught but a fire extinguisher. Come learn about how Wall-E's understanding of the conservation of momentum got him out of a bind! Topics Include A significant delay in episode release Who is the real Santa? Cute robots Rocket science Nozzles! Marvel's usage of real words, not buzzwords
#8 Into the Spider-Force
November 29, 2021 12:00 - 28 minutes - 19.5 MBWhen Doc Ock threatens the good commuters of New York with a dip into the Hudson, it is up to Spider-Man to stop a speeding train from taking a plummet. Will and Ian discuss Newton's second law (some may recall "Fma" from their high school Physics courses) and how it works in everyday life. Discussion Topics Thanos can't snap with metal gloves? Invisible flames and Talladega Nights NYC Train conductor snark Bad jokes A very heartfelt sign-off
#7 The Physics of Firebending
November 01, 2021 21:00 - 28 minutes - 19.4 MBThe firebending duel between Princess Azula and her exiled brother Zuko is nothing short of scorching. The cold blue flames of the cruel Princess collide with her brother's passionate red-orange flames. But how do flames get these colors? Let's learn about that. Discussion Topics Include It's a Dune cast! Should I laser my retina? Green lasers: the complete picture Fire! Why does wifi go through walls? Intro/Outro by John Bartman Narrative music by xelementumign1s
#6 Goldfinger, the OG LASER master
October 01, 2021 12:00 - 33 minutes - 23 MBIn 1964's Goldfinger, the titular character manages to ensnare agent 007 in a dubious trap. Everyone's favorite secret agent watches as Goldfinger's bright red LASER inches slowly towards him, scorching the gold table he rests upon. But did you know that Goldfinger was really using cutting edge technology? Come learn about the history, principles, and design of LASER beams! The scene at hand LASER jock discusses the possibility of Goldfinger's laser LASER jock part two Discussion Topics In...
#5 Tim Murphy: The Electric Boy
September 17, 2021 21:00 - 28 minutes - 19.3 MBNowadays, much like on Isla Nublar, electricity matters! When the lights go out and the dinos roam free, the only thing that saves young Tim Murphy is the brains, brawns, and electrical understanding of Dr. Alan Grant. Topics Include Literary discoveries of a bygone age Charge, current, and zaps Electric fence theory and application The best looking Jurassic Park character Best practices when confronted with lightning strikes Homogenous vs homogenous All those videos of flowing but not flow...
#4 Fermat of Arabia: A Legendary Entrance Explained
September 05, 2021 20:00 - 26 minutes - 17.9 MBWhilst resting from a long day riding, TE Lawrence reclines on the hot sand and gazes across the scorching desert landscape. As if riding from the sky itself, a mysterious figure descends upon the British intelligence agent and his guide. Before the he can grasp the gravity of the situation, the mysterious rider is an arms length away and his guide is slain. Ian and Will talk about mirages; what they are, how they work, and where else we see the underlying principle elsewhere in daily life. ...
#3 Time Dilation and the 51 Year Maneuver
August 20, 2021 12:00 - 27 minutes - 19.1 MBTom Cooper's voyage to a distant galaxy results in a strange twist of time. Understood as parts of Special and General relativity, time dilation catapults Cooper years into the future in the span of a few hours. Come learn about it with us! Topics Include Will's microphone volume Mathew M impressions How to distinguish yourself from your twin US Navy Alarm Clocks Links: Excerpt of Kip Thorne’s book about the science of Interstellar Explanation of why black hole spin affects gravity on the...
#2 The Secrets of the Fosbury Flop
August 06, 2021 13:00 - 29 minutes - 20.2 MBHow do Olympic high jumpers make such incredible heights? By manipulating their center of gravity using the famous Fosbury flop, of course! In this episode, Will and Ian discuss the concept of Center of Mass/Gravity using the 2020 Olympic Games. The video example discussed Topics Include: Homemade jingles Our favorite mascot Two incredible sportsmen Ian's CRV 2Fast2Furious experiences Will's love for novelty toys from Cracker Barrel Confirmation of MCU Phase 4 physics???
#1 Torque Master Will Turner
July 24, 2021 14:00 - 25 minutes - 17.7 MBIn the debut episode of Reference Frames podcast, we use the quick wits of the blacksmith apprentice turned swashbuckler William Turner. The clip under question Topics include: A pirate's use of torque Keeping an eye on a wrench The perfect screwdriver Will's love for Babu Frik The mentioned Twitter account mysteriously disappeared, so... Tweet us with your physics questions, corrections, memes, and thoughts: @PodcastFrames Follow us on Facebook if you're into that sort of thing. Please, ...