Newton’s First Law of Motion

A Body at Rest in Shanghai.

More specifically, the centre of mass of a body remains at rest, or continues to move in a straight line.

When I’m cycling and I notice a piece of glass or a large stone directly in my path, I may not have time to change my direction of motion. But I can quickly shift my bike to the left, while shifting my body to the right. My tires will avert disaster, while my centre of mass has not changed.

The same works in skiing. You’ve probably seen downhill (slalom) events wherein a skier quickly shifts her skis right, her body left, to get her skis around the gate while minimizing the change in her centre of mass and direction of travel.

A cyclist away from home…

Rusted bicycle on a roadside desolate.

Bicycles need love too. This one clearly hasn’t been used for its intended purpose in a long time. But not all is lost. The seat has been removed. Someone may be using it at this very moment. The rest of it is in ill-repair. It looks nice against this wall though; it adds character.