Doctor Who: 15 Science Lessons To Build Your Own Sonic Screwdriver

3. Screw Or Unscrew A Screw

2 Unscrew A Screw 2 Fury From The Deep In order to take something apart it's usually necessary to unscrew a screw . For us mere mortals we select either a flat or a Phillips screwdriver . Unscrewing some of those screws can be nasty business if they are stuck or stripped. The primary unscrewing function is to turn a tiny piece of metal around in a circle. In 1968 that would have seemed next to impossible with the sonic screwdriver. This nascent use of the screwdriver was used once in season 5 in Fury of the Deep to remove the screw from a pipe leading from the ocean. The screwdriver returned in season 6 for six more appearances screwing and unscrewing yet more screws . The second Doctor has screwed or unscrewed more screws than any other Doctor. But just how would the screwdriver remove a screw? Scientists at Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) have been able to convert sound to obtain a flow of magnetism known as spin current. By use of a piezoelectric element the spin current turns a piece of metal. This science takes directional sound waves and produces torque and would be the key to turning a Screw. If you don't believe me, click on this link and see The Real Sonic Screwdriver; http://youtu.be/K2DfEhjipLE
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Contributor

An artist and a computer geek before the two became synonymous. Combined them into data visualization which just seemed natural. But my real passion is Doctor Who. I write for the magazine Whotopia with my colleague Jürgen. Presented on my blog, The Doctor and Me, are essays and data analysis of Doctor Who. Working to amass large Doctor Who datasets allows for the analysis of the show unlike anything else. The most recent dataset is every use of the sonic screwdriver which is currently approaching 900. And every time an old episode comes on, there is a chance of spotting yet one more use that was tucked away.