{{short description|American associate professor of physics}} {{Infobox scientist | name = Rhett Allain | image = Rhett Allain.jpg | image_size = | alt = | caption = Rhett Allain speaking at Cornell University in 2012 | birth_date = <!-- {{Birth date|YYYY|MM|DD}} --> | birth_place = | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth date) --> | death_place = | citizenship = United States | fields = Physics, blogging, science communication | workplaces = Southeastern Louisiana University, ''Wired'' magazine | alma_mater = North Carolina State University, Benedictine University, University of Alabama | doctoral_advisor = | academic_advisors = | doctoral_students = | notable_students = | known_for = | author_abbrev_bot = | author_abbrev_zoo = | influences = | influenced = | awards = | signature = <!--(filename only)--> | signature_alt = | footnotes = | spouse = | website = [http://www.wired.com/category/science/physics-math/ Dot Physics Articles] }}'''Rhett Allain''' is an American associate professor of physics at Southeastern Louisiana University and the author of the ''Wired'' magazine science blog Dot Physics. He received his Ph.D. from North Carolina State University in 2001 and works in the field of physics education research.<ref>[http://www2.selu.edu/Academics/Faculty/rallain/ Faculty home page], Southeastern Louisiana University</ref>
In his blog, Dot Physics, Allain discusses physical concepts, answers questions related to physics and math, and debunks questionable physical claims. Many of his posts are supported by experiments, calculations, and models.<ref>[http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2011/04/11/2214704/discover-magic-of-science-with.html Discover magic of science with everyday physics | CharlotteObserver.com & The Charlotte Observer Newspaper<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Recently, he has analyzed the physics behind the ''Angry Birds Space'' video game<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidthier/2012/04/02/analyzing-the-physics-of-angry-birds-space/ | work=Forbes | first=Dave | last=Thier | title=Professor Analyzes the Physics of Angry Birds: Space - Forbes | date=2012-04-02}}</ref> and behind a now-debunked<ref>[https://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-03/23/bird-man-comes-clean 'Bird man' hoaxster comes clean on Dutch television (Wired UK)<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> video which purported to show a man flying with home-made wings.<ref>{{cite magazine| url=https://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/03/analysis-of-the-human-birdwings/ | magazine=Wired | first=Rhett | last=Allain | title=Analysis of the Human Birdwings | date=2012-03-21}}</ref><ref>[http://www.snopes.com/photos/technology/humanbirdwings.asp snopes.com: Human Bird Wings<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> He has also criticized television shows, including ''Fight Science'', that perform poorly controlled experiments which are presented as scientific.<ref>{{cite news|title= Fight Science = Bad Science |work= Dot Physics|url=http://scienceblogs.com/dotphysics/2009/12/fight_science_bad_science.php|access-date=2010-01-11}}</ref>
In 2008 Allain rejected the concept of sailing dead downwind faster than the wind as a violation of conservation laws, stating that "this is the same situation as people trying to make energy from nothing".<ref>{{Cite news|last=Allain|first=Rhett |title=Physics and directly downwind faster than the wind (DWFTTW) vehicles|url=http://scienceblogs.com/dotphysics/2008/12/physics-and-directly-downwind-faster-than-the-wind-dwfttw-vehicles| access-date=2011-11-15}}</ref> When the concept was demonstrated to work in practice by the Blackbird in 2010, Allain didn't offer further explanations and merely noted: "If it works, does it matter what I say?"<ref>{{Cite web|last=Fisher|first=Adam|title=One Man's Quest to Outrace Wind|url=https://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/02/ff_fasterthanwind/}}</ref>
In 2011 Rhett became the science advisor for the Discovery Channel show ''Mythbusters'' and continues to work on it today with the new ''Mythbusters''. He is also a technical consultant for the CBS show ''MacGyver''. Rhett Allain is also a host on Southeastern's KSLU Radio with his show "STEM Science Radio", which Allain says is, "...redundant because science appears twice, but I didn't come up with the name."
==Personal== Allain describes himself as "a slacker by night."<ref>{{cite web|title= Rhett Allain, Wired Science |url=https://www.wired.com/wiredscience/author/rhettallain/|access-date=2012-12-02}}</ref> His favorite saying is "I like to take things apart, but I can't always put them back together." Allain has been married for 22 years and has 4 children.
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.wired.com/wiredscience/dotphysics/ Dot Physics] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140317224529/http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/dotphysics |date=2014-03-17 }}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Allain, Rhett}} Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:21st-century American physicists Category:Living people Category:American science bloggers Category:21st-century American science writers Category:North Carolina State University alumni Category:Southeastern Louisiana University faculty Category:Benedictine University alumni Category:Wired (magazine) people