Celebrating the physics of all that flows
It s no secret that I m a fan of fountain pens. They re just one way I like to have little celebrations of fluid physics in my everyday life. That said, I don t typically use anything with a monster flex nib like what you see here. This is extra. But it s also an incredibly cool glimpse of [ ]
Nature is full of helical fibers, including in plants and bird feathers. In this study, researchers explore how these soft springs react to droplets. When the pitch of the spring (roughly speaking, the spacing between coils) is small, droplets can flow down in a plug (not shown). But as the pitch increases, droplets can take [ ]
We ve seen a few different kinds of levitation here over the years, including via acoustic waves, aerodynamics, and Leidenfrost effect. Here, Steve Mould describes something a bit different: a levitation squeeze film driven by ultrasonic transducers. Like a vibrating droplet, the thing keeping surfaces apart here is a thin, lubricating layer of air. The vibration [ ]
Like fighter pilots of old, male dragonflies engage in aerial combat where each tries to outmaneuver the other to keep a sight on their rival s tail. A recent study observed this combat in the field and uncovered some surprising similarities to dogfighting. Like pilots, dragonflies used spiraling turns and other high-g moves to gain an [ ]
In raindrops, ink-jet printing, and spray painting, droplets get broken apart by the air flowing around them. Here, researchers investigate how a jet of fluid can push a droplet from its perch, or with enough momentum shatter the droplet. There are some lovely flow visualizations here; it s especially cool to see the starting vortex ring of the [ ]
Photographer Barbara Brown captured these striking aerial views in Namibia. Coastal dunes and saltworks feature in the photos from Walvis Bay, where wind, waves, evaporation, and humankind have shaped the landscape. The colorful and dendritic dune images come from Sossusvlei, where the ephemeral Tsauchab River ends in the Namib Desert. Recent flooding left its mark [ ]
Reef-building coral polyps constantly stir the water around them with dense carpets of microscopic hair-like cilia. The beating of the cilia helps polyps feed while also pushing away sediment and debris. Their stirring increases nutrient and gas exchange with seawater, too. A new study combines experimental measurements with a simple mathematical model to recreate the [ ]
If you put a thumb over your hose s outlet, you get a faster jet, but how does that affect the flow rate? That s the question Grady starts from in this Practical Engineering video exploring pipe flow physics. From continuity and control volumes to practical losses, he touches on both the theory and practice behind this [ ]
Snoring and sleep apnea a condition where aeroelastic flutter obstructs the airway and stops breathing during sleep often go hand-in-hand. But diagnosing sleep apnea involves an expensive and time-consuming screening in which the patient has to sleep while monitored by various sensors. To make the process easier, researchers are developing a screening method based only on audio [ ]
Of the more than 9 billion metric tons of plastic that s been produced, a mere 9% has been recycled. About 12% has been incinerated, and the remainder is just out there in our homes, our landfills, and, unfortunately, in our oceans. Exactly where all the plastic is continues to be an active question of research. Plastic s [ ]