Physics Journal — Long-Form Writing
The Physics Journal collects long-form essays connecting fundamental physics to medicine, imaging, biomechanics, relativity, astrophysics, and engineering. Each post is reviewed by Frank Urena, PhD before publication.
Recent and featured posts:
- How physics explains trauma in surgery — momentum, KE, and thermodynamics applied to injury patterns.
- Why MRI works — from nuclear spin to resonance.
- Why X-rays work — discovery, image formation, and safety.
- CT scans — reconstruction, radiation, contrast.
- Ultrasound physics — impedance, Doppler, harmonic imaging.
- PET physics — positron annihilation, line-of-response, attenuation correction.
- Fusion vs fission — energy comparison and the future of nuclear power.
- Fluid dynamics in blood flow — Poiseuille, Reynolds, hemodynamics.
- Quantum mechanics for clinicians — what MRI and PET actually use.
How the journal is organized
The journal is designed for readers who want physics ideas in context rather than isolated formulas. A typical article starts with the physical question, names the model being used, then follows the consequences into a real system such as medical imaging, trauma mechanics, blood flow, nuclear energy, or astronomical observation.
That structure matters because the same equation can mean different things in different settings. Momentum is not just a symbol in collision problems; it helps explain injury transfer, rocket motion, recoil, and particle scattering. Energy is not only a conserved number; it appears as heat, radiation, binding energy, image contrast, and work done on matter.
Recommended reading paths
For medical and clinical applications, start with the MRI, X-ray, CT, ultrasound, PET, and trauma physics essays. Those pieces connect waves, fields, quantum transitions, attenuation, and fluid dynamics to instruments that readers may already recognize.
For fundamental theory, move through relativity, quantum mechanics, fusion and fission, and astrophysics articles. These posts pair conceptual explanation with links back to the formula library and calculators so readers can check units, magnitudes, and limiting cases as they read.
New journal entries should be treated as part of a study route. If an article introduces a formula, it should link to the relevant formula page. If it describes a measurable quantity, it should point to a calculator or worked example where possible. If it makes a historical or experimental claim, it should separate the observation from the interpretation.
Where to go next
More Journal Posts (3)
- Physics Journal — Issue 5
- Physics Journal — Issue 10
- Physics Journal: Featured Post
Editorial standard for new posts
Each journal page should answer a specific physics question and make its assumptions visible. A post about imaging should say which interaction produces the signal, which part of the instrument detects it, and which physical limits affect resolution or safety. A post about mechanics should identify the system, the forces, the energy transfers, and the quantities that are actually conserved.
This standard keeps the journal different from a list of curiosities. Readers should leave with a model they can reuse: a way to estimate a scale, compare two effects, or recognize when a simplified formula no longer applies. When a post cannot support that level of explanation, it should stay out of the index until it is expanded.