Physics of the Human Body

In this episode, Dr. Kevin Davenport discusses the human body as a living energy system—breaking down how heat and work drive everything from movement and metabolism to survival itself.

No question that the faster you are going, the more likely you are to get injured.  But what most people don't know, it is how quickly you stop that really matters.  It is all in the physics of trauma. 

It is the first milestone of our lives - when we walk.  It is healthy? Is walking faster better?   How do we determine our maximum speed?  All this and more in this podcast on moving. 

From the University of Utah's Department of Biology comes the incredible idea that humans's evolved to stand up right in large part to breathe better, so we can run a long, long time.   They said, "We are born to run." 

When was the last time you went shopping to buy electrons at the food store?  Well, it was the last time you shopped.  Listen to find out how our body extracts energy from electrons,. It is after all our metabolism.

From a hiatal hernia to varicose veins, pressure abnormalities can cause havoc in our bodies. 

Do you feet hurt after standing or walking?  Do they hurt when running?  The problem is likely how forces are being  unevenly distributed in your feet.  Listen as Dr. Richard Ingebretsen helps us know the physics of foot pain.

Do your knees hurts after doing squats?  Did you have knee pain after running?  All of this is explained by the physics surrounding our knees. 

You hike and the outside of the knee hurts, you play tennis and the outside of your elbow hurts, and sometimes you have pain on the inside of the knee.  What do all of these have in common?  Friction!  This podcast talks about how friction causes pain in our tendons,  muscles and joints.  

Your back is sore and it's not the first time!   While many things can cause pain in the neck and lower back, in the end the laws of physics play a major role.  Listen and find out how. 

What do vertigo and acceleration have in common?  How do Newton's laws help  the human body locate itself in space? Listen as Dr. Richard Ingebretsen talks about a very common illness caused by the laws of physics. 

What role does physics play in the creation of a blister?  Well, it is everything. Listen in as we learn how to prevent blisters by understanding physics. 

What exactly is an MRI scan?  Is there actually a magnet uses? What does resonance have to do with it?  Listen to this podcast and find out how magnets and resonance are used to image our bodies.

Most people have had and 'x-ray' most commonly at a dental office or a hospital.  But really, what is an x-ray, how are they produced and how do they interstice in the body to   create an image or treat cancer.  Listen to the podcast to learn about x-rays in medicine.

We all put them on when we go out in the sun.  But few people know how they work.  Listen as we talk about the physics of sunscreens. 

We all know the feeling when we stub our toe that it takes a second for us to feel the pain.  Why is that?  Listen and find out this and other crazy things about the human nervous system.

They are designed to hear the most quiet of sounds.  They help with balance.  And they make life so pleasurable.   Listen and find out how the ears hear. 

We use them non-stop.  Did you know that as the light passes through to the back of the eye it is bathed in liquid? Listen to hear more about the incredible way we see.

Such an incredible organ to keep beating up to 100,000/day.  What is our blood pressure?  How fast does our blood move?  Listen and learn about the amazing human heart.