~ Early Web Links ~

The official site for NASA's Gravity Probe B mission, a Stanford University experiment designed to test two key predictions of Einstein's general theory of relativity using ultra-precise gyroscopes orbiting Earth. Visitors can explore the mission's history dating back to 1959, the groundbreaking engineering advances required to make it possible, technical papers, image galleries, and video overviews of spacetime concepts.

Richard Fitzpatrick is a Professor of Physics at the University of Texas at Austin, specializing in fusion studies, with this page serving as a hub for his research, teaching materials, academic papers, talks, and books. Visitors interested in plasma physics or fusion energy will find a gateway to substantial scholarly resources from an active academic researcher.

P.P. Cook is a theoretical physics lecturer who writes infrequent but thoughtful posts exploring topics like quantum mechanics, string theory, Dynkin diagrams, and the philosophy of simulation. The blog blends rigorous mathematical content with accessible commentary, touching on books, art inspired by physics, and the day-to-day perspective of an academic on a finite contract.

The String Coffee Table is a collaborative group blog hosted at the University of Texas at Austin, bringing together physicists to discuss string theory, loop quantum gravity, conformal field theory, and related advanced topics. Posts make heavy use of MathML for rendering equations, and contributors include researchers like Urs Schreiber and Lubos Motl, making it a rich academic resource for cutting-edge theoretical physics.

Created by Norman Hugh Redington at MIT, The Net Advance of Physics is an encyclopedic collection of review articles and tutorials covering the full breadth of physics, organized alphabetically and continuously updated since 1995. Special features include a 19th century physics retro archive, history of science resources, a science poetry collection, and curated links to recent controversies in the field.

RainbowSpec is an in-depth yet beginner-friendly educational site exploring how rainbows and color work, covering everything from the visible spectrum and refraction to supernumerary rainbows, fogbows, glories, and thin film interference. The site is thoughtfully organized with starred pages marking foundational concepts, and it links to classic atmospheric optics references that inspired its creation.

Maintained by Stony Brook University's physics department, this extensive link directory covers physics preprints, online journals, conferences, jobs, data sources, and institutions. Researchers and students will find hundreds of curated links spanning Physical Review, arXiv, SLAC SPIRES, astrophysics journals, and community resources like Fermilab and the Nobel Foundation.

William J. Beaty, an electrical engineer from Seattle, explores the fascinating physics of traffic jams, treating highway congestion as fluid dynamics and demonstrating how a single driver can dissolve traffic waves. The site features animations, videos, experiments, and links to academic research on 'jam-absorption driving,' making it a surprisingly deep dive into an everyday phenomenon.

The Open Source Physics project, supported by NSF and the AAPT, provides free computational curriculum resources including simulations, modeling tools, and student worksheets designed to help learners explore physical phenomena through computer modeling. Highlights include the Tracker video analysis tool and Easy Java Simulations (EJS) framework, making it a comprehensive hub for physics educators and students at all levels.

Created by physicist E. Butikov of IFMO, this collection presents interactive Java applets simulating remarkable three-body gravitational motion problems, including the famous figure-eight periodic orbit and restricted three-body scenarios. It bridges classical Newtonian mechanics and celestial mechanics with hands-on simulations suitable for students and advanced researchers exploring planetary system dynamics.