Checking dimensions in equations

Short post this week. I want to talk about a simple concept that is extremely useful in physics and other fields of applied science. Especially those fields working with equations to calculate anything that has a physical meaning to it, like a speed, a voltage, a weight.. As a physics student, our teachers would usually spend a few minutes talking about how it is extremely important to check dimensions. Back then, I was listening and not really thinking how that would help me concretely to find the answer to the problem they were giving us. I would always be puzzled …

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An introduction on laser physics

So I want to start a series of posts that will focus mostly on lasers, what they are, how they work, what are the most important elements, etc… It can still evolve. Some prerequisites first: To fully understand what I will write, here, it definitely helps to be familiar with a few concepts and bases from electromagnetism and optics, obviously. I’ll try to explain these concepts along the way of course. Nevertheless, even if you don’t have the necessary background, keep reading. I’ll try to keep it simple and limit the mathematics to a minimum. It’s no surprise that lasers …

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Comment diriger la foudre avec un laser...

Climate change is a mess. It’s hotter in some places, colder in other, and in general, severe weather is intensifying with longer droughts, heavier rainfalls and stronger storms. This problem, caused mostly by our method of generation of energy relying on burning fuel and releasing carbon dioxide in the air has a few solutions, among them: the wind turbine to harvest wind energy and generate clean electricity. But, here is a slight problem. A few days ago, I stumbled upon an article[1] explaining how wind turbines are actually at risk of severe damages when thunderstorms occur. The issue here is …

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