Good article on steel and forging

[b.hennick]

There is a good article on steel with the unusual title "The physics in your fork". It was published in Physics Today. The article is very readable. Here is the URL: http://ptonline.aip.org/journals/doc/PH ... 88_1.shtml

 

Comments from those who work steel would be appreciated.

[Ken-Hawaii]

A very interesting article, Barry. Didn't know you were a physicist.

 

I looked through some my old chemical engineering references, & found several different phase diagrams for iron/carbon, none of which were the same as in the article. I guess that science has progressed a tad farther in 40 years.

 

It's definitely a different look at what swordsmiths have been doing by "feel" for over a thousand years.

[WoodbridgeGaijin]

Are you into Physics Barry? I have been wanting to discuss string theory with someone for a long time.

 

Val Giardina.

[b.hennick]

Hi:

I teach high school science. Biology is my major followed by physics then chemistry. I have read some things on string theory but I am not one of the dozen people in the world who realy understand it. There are many who think that htye understand it but do not. It is just like swords - a beginner thinks that everything is clear. There are rules and the Japanese followed them. Unfortunately as you learn more you learn that there realy are no rules - the things that you thought you knew have many exceptions. When you realy start to understand things you step back and say honestly I do not know much. In swords it takes about 20 years of study to become an official beginner. After that thigns get better. I think that it is the same in physics at higher levels. 20 years of study probably makes you an official beginner.