This gorgeous photograph of Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds was taken in late December in Slovenia by Gregor Riačevič. The wave-like shape of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability comes from shear between two fluid layers Keep reading
Adjusting for Gusts
In flight, birds must adjust quickly to wind gusts or risk crashing. Research shows that the structure of birds’ wings enables them to respond faster than their brains can. The Keep reading
High Tide
Broad Sound, in eastern Australia, is home to some of the most extreme tidal swings in the world, with more than ten meters difference between high and low tides. The Keep reading
Lake Stars
As snow-covered frozen lakes melt, stars appear on their surface. These lake stars form around holes in the ice where (relatively) warm water seeps up into the slush layer. The Keep reading
Slow Mo Pulse Jet Engine
Pulse jet engines rely on their shape to maintain combustion without moving parts. The pressure waves that travel through the engine pump fresh oxygen into the combustion chamber and then Keep reading
“Mist and Water”
Years ago, I drove through the Blue Ridge Mountains on a wet and misty New Year’s Day. The fog that clung to the dark trees made the whole world quiet Keep reading
Dual Structure of Water
Water is so ubiquitous in our lives that we rarely recognize just how strange it is. For example, when pure liquid water is supercooled well below its freezing temperature, it Keep reading
Eyes on the Sun
Though it may look like the Eye of Sauron, this image is actually one of our best-ever glimpses of a sunspot. Captured by the Daniel K. Inouye Solar Telescope, this Keep reading
Seismic Events Reveal Ocean Temperatures
Decades ago, researchers proposed sending sound waves through the ocean to measure its temperature. Although the technique worked, it ran into noise pollution issues, but now it’s back, using naturally-occurring Keep reading
The Strangeness of Sand
Sand and other granular materials can flow, jam, and transmit forces in counterintuitive ways. This Lutetium Project video gives a nice overview of some of these bizarre properties. Many of Keep reading