Sediments carried by rivers and stirred from the shallows meet the Gulf of Mexico in a vivid display of turbulent mixing. Although turbulence is not well-understood, it is a process Keep reading
Month: September 2024
Spore-Spreading via Vortex
As it turns out, animals aren’t the only ones to have figured out the usefulness of vortex rings. A team of physicists and biologists have captured peat moss using vortex Keep reading
Dolphins Making Bubble Rings
Marine animals know more about fluid dynamics than we might think. Dolphins make games out of blowing vortex rings (a.k.a. bubble rings) and tossing them around. You can try, too, next Keep reading
Shock Waves From a Gun
Often fluid motion is invisible to the human eye. Researchers use techniques like schlieren photography to make changes in fluid density apparent. In this high-speed schlieren photo, an AK-47 is Keep reading
Water Balloons in Microgravity
Sometimes you need microgravity in order to observe the neat effects of surface tension on a fluid. Also, I hear it’s a good excuse for popping water balloons on the Keep reading
The Kaye Effect
Non-Newtonian fluids can also be shear-thinning like shampoo. These fluids exhibit a phenomenon known as the Kaye effect. #
Liquid Umbrella
Droplet collisions, usually with water or milk, are popular with photographers for their artistic value. As stunning as these still images are, high-speed video makes the effect even better. Photo Keep reading
Vortex Cannon
Ever wonder if the Big Bad Wolf could really blow those pigs’ houses down? If he’d gone with a vortex cannon, maybe he’d have a chance.
Perching Gliders
Researchers at MIT are studying stall to understand how birds land and come up with new ways for gliders to perch instead of requiring a runway. This photo shows a Keep reading
Cornstarch Monsters
In shear-thickening, non-Newtonian fluids, disturbances make the fluid more viscous (“thicker”, more resistant to motion). This is well-demonstrated by putting some on a speaker and turning it on! #