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Questions tagged [nature]

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DO NOT USE THIS TAG if a more descriptive tag applies.

36 questions
45
votes
8 answers

Fourier transformation in nature/natural physics?

I just came from a class on Fourier Transformations as applied to signal processing and sound. It all seems pretty abstract to me, so I was wondering if there were any physical systems that would behave like a Fourier transformation. That is, if…
Justin L.
  • 6,090
20
votes
20 answers

There is mathematics in physics but is there any physics in mathematics?

Are there situations where physics is needed to solve mathematical problems? While it's well-known that many problems in physics require mathematical techniques for their solutions, I wonder if there are scenarios where a solid understanding of…
user437229
13
votes
12 answers

Is there an equivalent of computation of physical processes in nature?

I was watching a waterfall in the Austrian Alps. There were thousands of water droplets falling down, splattering on the stones below. I thought - how does nature find out so quickly where each droplet of water should go? To find out what happens to…
yingele
  • 179
  • 1
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9
votes
7 answers

Jumping sewer lid - WHY?

Intro: Few hours ago, there was a storm. We heard some constant banging which couldn't be explained by thundering. Then we found out, it was a sewer lid jumping. Maybe it's normal in other parts of the world, but for me it was like the first time in…
Erlik
  • 372
9
votes
2 answers

Natural entanglement system

I'm a beginner and amateur interested in quantum physics. I would like to know if entangled systems of natural states exist or whether such systems require human intervention? Is it possible? Either no or yes, Why?
csblo
  • 201
7
votes
5 answers

Are there any natural phenomena on Earth that involve supersonic speeds?

Are there any natural phenomena on Earth that involves supersonic speeds, other than volcanic tephra and meteoroids? Edit: By natural I mean not man made like airplanes, rockets, missiles, bullet, etc. Thanks for the answers. What I first had in…
Azad
  • 841
6
votes
2 answers

Are there any naturally occurring perfect circles?

Given that $\pi$ is the irrational number that occurs with a perfect circle, and perfection is very difficult to achieve through chance or nature, I think that most circles are really ovals, and imperfect. Are there any proven naturally occurring…
makerofthings7
  • 1,057
6
votes
2 answers

Why is snow white?

There is one question that has been bothering me sometimes the last couple of years that I want to share. There are two statements that I believe are true. A) snow's natural color is white B) snow of white color melts under sun the slowest. This, to…
Nick The Dick
  • 243
6
votes
1 answer

Does nature tetrate?

We see addition, multiplication and exponentiation in the natural formulae that make up physics. However, do we ever see tetration (repeated exponentiation) or higher hyper-operators in nature? (Not counting cases where the tetration step could be…
billpg
  • 856
6
votes
5 answers

Do perfect spheres exist in nature?

Often in physics, Objects are approximated as spherical. However do any perfectly spherical objects actually exist in nature?
Cactus BAMF
  • 761
5
votes
2 answers

Can bad guys really hide "dirty bomb" material via bananas?

This one probably has some cross-over with Skeptics SE, but I thought it fits here a little better. The concept comes from the TV show NCIS:LA second season episode "Empty Quiver" Here, the villains steal some nuclear material from a hospital's…
cobaltduck
  • 523
4
votes
3 answers

In sunlight a shadow looks darker relative to the sunlight, but is it actually brighter than when there is cloud cover?

Considering the same point in a shadow on the ground, how does the incident light level vary when there's cloud cover diffusing the sunlight compared to no cloud cover? In sunlight a shadow looks darker relative to the sunlight, but is it actually…
EdL
  • 163
3
votes
0 answers

Why is the dust gathering this way?

I bought a clock from the store that has no battery inside. Completely new. This was inside the walls of the cheap clock. I was completely confused as stated above… it wipes off with your finger. The temperature this clock has been is room…
Quora
  • 31
3
votes
1 answer

How does nature calculate instantaneously?

Physicists can make calculations about the world around us. However, it takes time for humans or even computers to perform the computations. How does nature do these calculations instantly?
AlexH
  • 386
3
votes
1 answer

What causes the silence before the storm?

Everybody meet that phenomenon if a big storm comes (for example a cold front after a long heater period), before the arriving there is a short silence time, when there isn't nothing (no wind, no bird sing, no annoying bugs), and after that suddenly…
blackcornail
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1
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