Intellectually Curious

Meltwater, Micro-Engineering, and the Curling Stone: The Physics of Sweeping

Mike Breault

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 5:22

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.


Note:  This podcast was AI-generated, and sometimes AI can make mistakes.  Please double-check any critical information.

Sponsored by Embersilk LLC