LMS/Gresham Lecture: The Maths of Gyroscopes and Boomerangs

Location
Museum of London and Online
Start date
-
Speakers
Hugh Hunt

 

Spinning things are strange. Why does a spinning top stand up? Why doesn't a rolling wheel fall over? How does a falling cat always manage to land on its feet? How can the Hubble Space Telescope turn around in space? How do ice-skaters spin so fast? 

Taking a look at gyroscopes, this lecture explores the common threads that link all spinning things. The law of Conservation of Angular Momentum is far more subtle than we may think and there are many counter-intuitive observations.

This lecture forms part of the annual LMS/Gresham Lecture Series. For details and to register, see gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/gyroscopes-boomerangs.