Meltwater, Micro-Engineering, and the Curling Stone: The Physics of Sweeping
About this episode
We unpack how thermodynamics and tribology turn vigorous sweeping into real-time ice engineering. Learn how a nanometer-thick meltwater film lowers friction, why the curling stone curls in the direction of its spin, and how the 'running band' carves its own track to guide the stone. A physics-minded tour of the sport's precision—and its controversies.
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