This American Life - "Family Physics"

 We take the stately laws of physics—laws which mathmaticians and scientists have spent centuries discovering and verifying—and apply them to the realm of human relationships, to see if they shed useful light on our daily lives.

 

download MP3 at http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/214/family-physics

 

 Prologue.

We hear two stories of everyday life which are more easily understood if one knows some of the laws of physics, specifically the Mediocrity Principle and the Casimir Effect. Then Particle Physicist and NPR Correspondent Dave Kestenbaum explains why physicists hate it when non-scientists try to apply these laws and principles to their daily lives. (8 minutes)

 

 

Act One. Occam's Razor.

In Los Angeles, Cris Beam reports on a family named the Paladinos that had a theory that explained their lives. And then, at some point, that theory came to seem inadequate. It didn't seem to match the data and evidence at hand. So they switched to a different theory. (30 minutes)

 

 

Act Two. The Trajectory And Force Of Bodies In Orbit.

Jon Ronson tells the story of how his parents decided to commission a family portrait, and how things went awry because of the brilliant but troubled local artist they hired for the job. In the story, Jon circles in a reluctant orbit around his parents, and his parents are in a rather energetic orbit of their own. Jon's the author of Them: Adventures with Extremists.

 

 

Act Three. Conservation Of Energy And Matter.

David Sedaris outlines an experiment he conducted with fluids and a tube and a bag. The result: The Stadium Pal. His story was recorded before a live audience by Seattle Arts and Lectures. He's the author of Me Talk Pretty One Day and other books.