For small creatures, swimming is dominated by viscosity. Here researchers use particle image velocimetry (PIV) to explore the flow field around brine shrimp. Its motion is divided into two vorticity-generating phases–the wide power stroke where the shrimp generates most of its forward motion and the recovery stroke where the shrimp returns its starting position while generating as little motion and drag as it can. (Video credit: B. Johnson, D. Garrity, L. Dasi)
Celebrating the physics of all that flows