Richard Brill is a retired professor of science at Honolulu Community College. His column runs on the first and third Fridays of the month.
Thermonuclear reactions deep in the sun’s interior consistently generate the same amount of energy as 2.5 billion 500-megawatt generators, the largest on Earth. Read more
There are tens of trillions of stars in our Milky Way galaxy and billions of galaxies in deep space, each with trillions of stars. Taken in total, there are likely more stars in the universe than grains of sand on all beaches on Earth. Read more
The solid Earth is surrounded by a fluid envelope of atmosphere and ocean, a coupled system of direct interaction. Read more
The transfer of heat from the equator to the poles is the cause of weather. It might manifest as gentle rain, wind, thunderstorms, hurricanes or tornadoes. Read more
Crystals are everywhere. With few exceptions, the solid inorganic substances that make up our world are crystalline. This includes rocks, minerals, ceramics and metals. Read more
It is an interesting aspect of the universe and an ironic sense of unity that it requires more energy to see smaller objects. This is the result of the properties of waves in general and specifically the nature of electromagnetic waves. Read more
We’ve all heard of virtual reality, but virtual water is the current buzz phrase among water conservationists. Read more
Spin is in. Stars spin around supermassive black holes. Planets spin in orbit around the sun. Earth spins daily on its axis, a toy top spins on a desktop, atoms spin, quarks spin, electrons spin and even nonmaterial photons spin. Read more
Charging a cellphone on an induction pad seems like magic, and in a way it is. Induction is a feature of electromagnetism that Michael Faraday stated in 1831, now known as Faraday’s law. It is the basis for much of modern electrical and electronic technology. Read more
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From the earliest days of sports announcing, on muggy nights baseball announcers have remarked about how baseballs do not travel as far due to the heavy, humid air. Read more
By strict definition, a catalyst is a substance that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without itself undergoing any permanent chemical change. Being such a utilitarian concept, the word takes on other applications outside the world of chemistry from which it evolved. Read more
Just about everyone knows that the moon orbits Earth once every month, which is the time required for one orbit. What we do not commonly know is that the moon’s orbit is not circular; it is elliptical. Read more
Among the many similar but very different mistakes that I see in media is the distinction between silicon and silicone. That “e” on the end looks benign, but it makes a big difference in the material. Read more
The second most abundant particle in the universe after the photon is the neutrino. It is a shifty little thing. It has no electric charge, very little mass, travels very near the speed of light, interacts only with the weak nuclear force and passes through Earth as though it were not there. Read more
Proteins are the most important of all biochemicals. They are involved in nearly all bodily processes in one way or another. Read more
Equinox derives from Latin for “equal night,” actually referring to equal length of day and night. It is not true that day and night are exactly the same length everywhere around the globe, but they are nearly. Read more
To humans, the sense of smell has a direct link to emotions. Who among us has not, at one time or another, had a memory and its associated feelings come rushing at us when catching a whiff of perfume, theater popcorn or one of thousands of smells that we associate with events from our past? Read more
Although detailed climate records exist for only 150 years or so, several Earth sensors keep records that allow us to infer past climate information. These “proxy climate data sources” substitute for actual weather instruments. Read more
Touch screens are everywhere: smartphones, laptop screens, supermarket checkouts, restaurant tills, ATMs, airport check-in kiosks, museum information booths and GPS devices, to name a few. Read more
The landscape is something we see every day. It is as familiar as a member of the family, yet we seldom think about how it got to be that way. Read more
Homo sapiens are fascinated to watch ourselves in mirrors, but we must watch others for models of how to behave. Read more
