Humans have been making fire by friction for centuries, but it's not easy. Cyndi Monaghan/Moment via Getty Images Fire by friction is a testament to human ingenuity, contributing to the development of ...

For machines with mechanical elements, friction is an unavoidable enemy. It is a major source of service failure and can reduce the lifespan of any machinery, from bicycles and cars to airplanes and ...

Alfredo has a PhD in Astrophysics and a Master's in Quantum Fields and Fundamental Forces from Imperial College London.View full profile Alfredo has a PhD in Astrophysics and a Master's in Quantum ...

Overturning conventional wisdom stretching all the way to Leonardo da Vinci, new research shows that how things break (fracture) and how things slide (friction) are closely interrelated. The ...

Learn about friction cost to make better informed decisions: its implications in investments and loans, and how it helps assess the true cost of financial transactions.

Here’s the rub with friction — scientists don’t really know how it works. Although humans have been harnessing its power since rubbing two sticks together to build the first fire, the physics of ...

The field of economics has long modelled itself after Newtonian physics. When physicists analyse a complex problem, they usually begin with the simplest version and neglect any complicating effects, ...

Whenever you are trying to design a micromechanical system, it is likely to include the fundamental machine parts of gears, gimbals, hinges, pistons and suspended beams that flex. Brian Borovsky, ...

Going fast is important. I mean what would racing be without speed? But on the other side of the coin, going fast will end in dramatic fashion if you aren't able to safely set your car for each corner ...

It was once a game of luck using misshapen stones from Scotland’s riverbeds first thought to be played out on frozen waters in the mid-16th Century. In the four-and-a-half centuries since, a sport ...