Talk Like A Physicist

Taking a physics textbook to the tattoo parlor - awesome Maxwell Equation tattoo

Continuing our series of "Tuesday Tattoos", here is TEH’s awesome Maxwell Equation tattoo on his ankle:

I had mine done nearly two years ago. Attached is photographic proof of how awesome it is to bring a Griffiths text into a tattoo parlor.

Notice that the equations oscillate about my ankle, as if they were mediated by a virtual photon.

The Griffith book that he is referring to is "Introduction to Electrodynamics".

I asked him if he really took the Griffiths book to the tattoo parlor and he quipped:

Indeed, Griffiths was brought to the parlor. I’m pretty sure that Griffiths texts should be brought everywhere.

TEH

And I couldn’t agree with him more. If you are stranded on a deserted island, and could carry only one book, I highly recommend that you consider carrying the Griffiths Electromagnetism book.

Of course, if I knew that I was going to be on a deserted island and could only take one book, I’d probably refuse to go, but if that choice wasn’t available, I’d take:

"How to build a boat for Dummies"

but Griffiths would be my second choice, honest!

Here are the couple of other Maxwell equation tattoos that we have posted earlier.

Tuesday Physics Tattoos: Maxwell equation and speed of light in dielectric medium

Rev. Brendan F. sent me his intricate Maxwell Equation tattoo. This is very artistic, each letter is exquisitely drawn and the total concept is beautifully done. From the picture it is hard to see the scale, but it seems like a very large tattoo.

And this one is my favorite; it is simple, pure physics tattoo. The beauty is not in the lettering but in the equation itself.

Speed of light in a dielectric media.

Thank you Antonia H. for sharing it with us. She is an Australian writer living in Paris and her Flikr stream is here.

By the way, you can derive the Antonia’s tat equation from Brendan’s tat. And of course, in grand physics tradition, the actual derivation is left as an exercise for the reader.

Extraordinary Fibonacci Tattoo

My half-sleeve after the first sitting. It’s being done without any black ink. At the top is a nautilus shell, … Around the nautilus shell are the first eight numbers in the Fibonacci sequence: 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21. This represents the perceived chaos in nature that is really a careful pattern, often indiscernible without careful observation.

Art by Bones at Fallen Angel Tattoo, Citrus Heights, CA.

Source Tribe net

The Fibonacci Tattoo adorns Bo.

An accomplished fusion Belly Dancer in CA.

In describing the Fibonacci Tattoo, she describes the job of a physicist rather well:

This represents the perceived chaos in nature that is really a careful pattern, often indiscernible without careful observation.

Isn’t that what all physicists do? Carefully observe and descen a pattern!

Physics Tattoo Tuesday : Feynman diagram tattoo

After I showed you the tattoos of bubble chamber tracks; you probably knew that Feynman Diagram tattoos were coming, right!

The Feynman diagrams are some of the most intuitive and fascinating constructs in physics. The above diagram shows electromagnetic force being mediated by a photon.

The tat belongs to Vince Sanchez and looks like he got it just a few months ago.

Stay tuned for another interesting Feynman Diagram tattoo coming up in about 4 weeks.

Tuesday Physics Tattoo: Interesting Pi Tattoo designs

Pi is such an intriguing number and it pops up at places you least expect it to. No wonder it is a favorite number among the “life mystery lovers”.

Here are two Pi Tattoo designs that do justice to the inherent intrigue of the number Pi.

Here the numbers are the design!

Here the dots represent the digits, starting on top and going clockwise.

Thanks VJ for sending it.

Don’t tell me you don’t know Pi to the 20th digit! Here is a mnemonics for you.

Sun & Moon & Skies proclaim the divine author of the Universe.

or

How I wish I could enumerate Pi easily, since all these horrible mnemonics prevent recalling any of pi’s sequence more simply.

If you are looking for mnemonics in a different language, go here.

Tuesday Physics Tattoo: Can’t have enough of Pi Tattoos - this time with numbers

From Grace: you ever need a picture of a girl with Pi to 10 places tattooed on her back…. (i just got it done :-D)

BBSpot Mailbag

Pamphile’s Photostream

the first half of my fifth tattoo. twentieth of april, two thousand and eight.

i’ve had a few problems getting around to the rest of it, but it should end up at 84 digits. there’s room for more after that, if i get the urge. it’s good to be tall.

Rainsoaked’s photo stream

Kevin, a singer of Tub Ring

My favorite still remains:

Tuesday Physics Tattoo : Heart shaped Pi tattoo

A heart shaped Pi tattoo : "Unleash the Pi"

Scuffinator’s Photostream on Flickr

This is so remarkable and I am not going to ruin it by adding some other lame picture of an unimaginative pi tattoo.

It is very easy to have Pi on your mind, but it is very hard to get Pi in your heart!

Tuesday Physics Tattoos: Mobius Strip tattoos

Rob’s Mobius strip tattoo. Inked 2/1/08 at Passage Tattoo in Toranto.

Star and mobius strip tattoo. From Juhyon

Tuesday Physics Tattoos: Integrated Love

Did you get it?

It stands for “All values (from zero to infinity) are less than Love.”

Source

Tuesday Physics Tattoos: CERN bubble chamber tracks tattoos:

Bubble chamber tracks are so beautiful and having a tattoo of the actual tracks is very special.

Considering that LHC will start tonight, there was an interesting comment about this tattoo:

You have a potential end of the effing universe tattooed on your arm. Well done, sir.

For additional pictures of this tattoo, please see Lofidelity’s Flickr

Here is another tattoo of the same bubble chamber track image.

The original track image looks like this:

Here, the particles in the beam, which comes in from the left, are pions, the short-lived particles discovered originally in cosmic rays. One has interacted with a proton in the liquid near the upper left, to create a spray of new particles. One of these was a neutral (uncharged) particle, which left no track, but revealed its existence when it decayed nearer the centre of the image, to produce two charged particles that leave behind a sideways V shape.

The chamber was located in a magnetic field, which made positive particles curve to the right, and negative particles to the left. Particles with high energies, including the beam particles, curve almost imperceptibly, but particles with lower energies produce fascinating spirals. These are mainly due to electrons knocked from atoms in the liquid hydrogen.

Tuesday Physics Tattoos: Fractal Mandelbrot tattoos

This is just the first of many sessions. In a week, after it heals, this outline will be tightened up so that it’s more regular. Then comes the colouring The above is only part of the entire tattoo. We’re doing a 3/4 sleeve of mandelbrot zooms.

Source: flamingnerd

Got this ink done last night! The tattoo is in the shape of a Mandelbrot set, which to me, is symbolic of infinity, regeneration, life, knowledge and enlightenment.

Source Stacy : She Dreams in Digital

Source Broox

The Mandelbrot set, named after Benoit Mandelbrot, is a fractal. Fractals are objects that display self-similarity at various scales. Magnifying a fractal reveals small-scale details similar to the large-scale characteristics.

Here is a 3D animation of a Julia Set, a type of Mandelbrot fractal set.

Tuesday Physics Tattoos: Electronic Circuit tattoos

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Many of these circuit tattoos are of Moog filter - a circuit used in the synthesizer.

There is so much physics in the Moog synthesizer. It allowed a visual way to manipulating the sound waves. In addition it also allowed the user to control the amplitude modulation and frequency modulation.

Tuesday Physics Tattoos : Solar System Tattoos

Solar System:

Source. Interestingly, this is an old tattoo where they left out Pluto because clear pictures weren’t available. And by cosmic coincidence, Pluto is no longer a planet!

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From Chris.
THE ORIGINAL SUN AND MOON WAS JUST REDONE WITH THE ADDED PLANETS MORE IS ON THE WAY

Ira Klotzko, a computer programmer in Jersey City, has finally decided to get a tattoo, after waiting until he was 38. Now, here’s the interesting part. Because of his life-long love of astronomy, he’s decided to have the entire solar system tattooed on his stomach. He says he thought of the idea while lying in bed one night, then gave himself a year to decide if he still wanted to do it. He jokes to New York Post that “it’s really accurate because the universe is also expanding.”

Solar System
The Sun/Earth/Moon in the middle, surrounded by the other 8 planets (YES, Pluto is included). An asteroid running down the side of it, with “…And it makes me wonder” a quote from Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven”.

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Just FYI: American Academy of Dermatology says that about 25% of Americans 18 - 50 have received tattoos.