Astronauts don’t typically drink soda or other carbonated beverages while in space. The reason is probably apparent if you watch this new video of an effervescent tablet in water on Keep reading
Month: December 2023
Wave Clouds Over the Galapagos
This dramatic example of Kelvin-Helmholtz clouds was taken near the Galapagos Islands last week. The shark-fin-like clouds are the result of two air layers moving past one another. The velocity Keep reading
Soap Bubble Coalescence
Droplets falling onto a bath of the same liquid will sometimes coalesce via a series of increasingly smaller droplets in a process known as the coalescence cascade. Soap bubbles, it Keep reading
Suppressing Instability
The Rayleigh Taylor instability is a common fluid phenomenon in which the interface between fluids of differing densities becomes unstable. It’s what’s responsible for all those awesome pictures of milk Keep reading
Happy 5th, FYFD!
FYFD is 5 years old! Hard to believe it’s been five whole years. Thank you to everyone who has helped along the way, especially those of you who produce, submit, and Keep reading
Alligators Water Dancing
Amorous alligators call to mates with a behavior known as water dancing. Their audible bellows are accompanied by infrasonic sound–vibrations below the 20 Hz limit of human hearing. These vibrations Keep reading
Raindrops in Puddles
Watching rain drops hit a puddle or lake is remarkably fascinating. Each drop creates a little cavity in the water surface when it impacts. Large, energetic drops will create a Keep reading
Magnus Effect
Putting a little bit of spin on an object can have a big aerodynamic effect, thanks to the Magnus effect. As demonstrated in the video above, backspin on a basketball Keep reading
The Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability
The Kelvin-Helmholtz instability is a pattern frequently found in nature. It has a distinctive shape, like a series of breaking ocean waves that curl over on themselves to create a Keep reading
Recreating Hurricanes
Hurricane-related winds and storm surge cause massive damage every year. Understanding and being able to predict the impact of these storms on coastal structures can help save lives and properties. Keep reading