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Reflecting on a coffee can reveal plenty of physics.

Gazing into your coffee, you notice white mists that dance over the surface of the cup. What are they and why are they there? How do the droplets that condense around the rim of the cup give us clues for understanding the greenhouse effect? And can you get a droplet of coffee to balance, for days, on the surface of your coffee without merging into it? (The answer is yes).

If you have ever asked any questions like this, you’ve found the right place. Bean Thinking explores the physics of the world and how it relates to coffee. From how your mobile phone was manufactured to the Big Bang theory of the universe, it’s all related to the physics in your coffee cup. You can find out more with experiments that you can do in your kitchen in the Coffee Cup Science section. Or take a look at the Cafe-physics reviews to find friendly places where you can enjoy excellent coffee and see some interesting science. Meanwhile, The Daily Grind is updated regularly with stories about different aspects of the physics in your cup. Do take a look around, and if you have a question but don’t find it answered here, email me or seek me out on Mastodon.

Whatever you do and wherever you are, enjoy those moments spent contemplating, and savouring that coffee.