Riff Raff Theater

I’ve been alerted by my buddy Matt to MSNBC.com, which has a nice “We’ll get you to look at ten pages with ads instead of one with our slideshow” article, and they succeed in his case due to the application of physics in two of our selections, namely Speed and our recent live show, The Day After Tomorrow.

Here’s what they have to say about buses, specifically those that attempt to fly:

Even given a set of impossibly ideal conditions — an optimistic two-degree incline in the road and disregarding air resistance altogether, the bus’s rise and fall as a projectile will still only last around 0.22 second after leaving the ramp. How much ground could the bus cover in 0.22 second? About 22 feet, or less than half the length of the gap. Boom!

Now, their comment on TDAT is actually more interesting to me, considering they actually came up with a result for what would happen in just such an occurrence:

…the atmospheric pressure in the upper troposphere is roughly one-tenth of what it is on the surface. As air falls to the surface and its pressure increases, its volume will decrease, as decreed by Boyle’s law. Air masses are excellent insulators and relatively little energy, will leave the system during this volume change. Because of the first law of thermodynamics, the work done to compress the air will be converted into energy, thus raising the temperature. How much? Under ideal conditions, the –100C air would be warmed to a scorching 57C (135F) by the time it reached the surface.

Head to the full article for more on both films, and some selections covering the gamut, from sound in space (been there, done that) to a section that praises Enemy of the State for getting the concept of a Faraday Cage correct.

Proper physics in cinema: Who knew?

So, this is one of those things where you have an idea forever, and never really think you have the time to do it. And finally, you have that freak evening where you get home at a decent hour, feel like tinkering around on your laptop, and then this comes pouring out. I hope you enjoy, and I hope you have a very strong understanding of internet memes.

If you follow the Rifftrax blog, Mike Nelson has pledged to eat nothing but bacon for the entire month. If there’s anything that’s been missing since he’s started, it’s that info on his health condition and how he’s feeling overall has been sorely lacking. Well, we found a news vid featuring Mike that aired last week, and we’re bringing it to you before Rifftrax! That’s right, we’re actually scooping the guy that’s featured in the very story we’re posting. Enjoy!