Aerogel is an extremely light porous material formed when the liquid inside a gel is replaced with gas. When combined with water, aerogel powders can have some wild superhydrophobic effects. Here Keep reading
Month: November 2023
The Kaye Effect
The Kaye effect is particular to shear-thinning non-Newtonian fluids – that is, fluids with a viscosity that decreases under deformation. The video above includes high-speed footage of the phenomenon using Keep reading
Sneezes Vs. Coughs
Sneezing and coughing are major contributors to the spread of many pathogens. Both are multiphase flows, consisting of both liquid droplets and gaseous vapors that interact. The image on the Keep reading
Harnessing Ocean Waves
Ocean waves contain substantial amounts of energy, and many projects are underway to harness them as renewable energy sources. Most of these projects use the motion caused by waves to Keep reading
Supernova Core Collapse
A core-collapse, or Type II, supernova occurs in massive stars when they can no longer sustain fusion. For most of their lives, stars produce energy by fusing hydrogen into helium. Keep reading
Freshwater Flux
These satellite images show the effects of a sudden influx of warm freshwater on sea ice in the Arctic Ocean. On the left are natural color satellite images of Canada’s Keep reading
How Dogs Drink
This high-speed footage shows how a dog drinks. The dog’s tongue curls backwards, creating a large area of surface contact with the water. When the dog pulls its tongue back Keep reading
Ice in Engines
Ice build-up is a major hazard on airplane wings and control surfaces, but ice can accrete on internal engine components, too. When this happens, the turbofan jet engine can lose Keep reading
Dust Storm in Texas
This aerial photo shows the leading edge of a haboob–an intense dust storm–sweeping across Texas last week. Although dust can be stirred up under many circumstances, haboobs are a specific Keep reading
Flowing Uphill
Science Friday takes an inside look at self-propelled Leidenfrost droplets like those we’ve featured previously. The Leidenfrost effect takes place when a liquid comes in contact with a surface much, Keep reading