Series · 8 parts
Lunch Break Physics
Why suction cups stick, why ice floats, why the sky is blue: one everyday question per post, explained from first principles, most with an interactive demo.
- Why Suction Cups Stick (It's Not Suction)
No vacuum pulls a suction cup. It's held by a pressure difference: the atmosphere pushes it on at about 10 N per square centimetre.
15 Sep 2026 · 8 min read
- Cold Is Just Absent Heat: Inside the Vapour-Compression Cycle
A fridge can't make cold — cold is just the absence of heat. It's a heat pump that uses electricity to move heat out of the box and into your kitchen.
22 Sep 2026 · 10 min read
- Why Is the Sky Blue (And Sunsets Red)?
The sky isn't blue because it reflects the ocean. Air molecules scatter blue light far more than red — and a sunset is the exact same trick, seen through more air.
29 Sep 2026 · 10 min read
- Why Does Ice Float?
Almost every solid sinks in its own liquid. Water doesn't: freezing locks it into an open hexagonal lattice, so ice is about 8% less dense and floats.
6 Oct 2026 · 10 min read
- How Do Planes Actually Generate Lift?
Planes don't fly because air over the top has farther to go. Lift is the wing throwing air downward, and the equal-transit story is a proven myth.
13 Oct 2026 · 13 min read
- Why Does the Shower Curtain Attack You?
Coming 20 October 2026
- How Do Noise-Cancelling Headphones Work?
Coming 27 October 2026
- Why Does a Curveball Curve?
Coming 3 November 2026