Ferrofluids are a colloid consisting of magnetically sensitive nanoparticles suspended in a carrier liquid, like oil. They’re often associated with a distinctive spiky appearance when exposed to a magnet, but this isn’t their only magnetic Keep reading
Month: September 2024
Reader Question: Waves Breaking
As a follow-up to the recent waves post, reader robotslenderman asks: What does it look like when the wave breaks? And why do waves sometimes push us back? Why are we able to Keep reading
Cavitation Collapse
The collapse of a bubble underwater doesn’t seem like a very important matter, but when it happens near a solid surface, like part of a ship, it can be incredibly destructive. This Keep reading
How Waves Travel
When playing in the surf, it’s easy to imagine that the incoming waves are a wall of water crashing into the shore. And, in a way they are, but probably Keep reading
“Vorticity 2”
There’s no better way to appreciate our atmosphere than through timelapse, and photographer Mike Olbinski is a master at capturing the beauty and power of nature at work through this Keep reading
Breaking Up
The dripping of a faucet and the break-up of a jet into droplets is universal. That means that the forces – the inertia of the fluid, the capillary forces governed by surface Keep reading
Feathered Fighter Jets
Peregrine falcons are built for speed. They’ve been clocked at more than 380 kilometers per hour when diving. This video from Deep Look examines some of the features that make these birds of Keep reading
Grayscale Aurora
This swirling grayscale image shows a spring aurora over the Hudson Bay, as seen by the Suomi NPP satellite. As energetic particles from the sun zip past Earth, they interact with our magnetosphere, which Keep reading
Splashes on Hairy Surfaces
The question of whether a droplet will splash is a complicated one, even for smooth surfaces, but researchers are also interested in what happens to hairy surfaces when droplets strike. Keep reading
Hiding From Waves
Ocean waves can be dangerous for boats, particularly when operating near off-shore platforms. But a new study, inspired by electromagnetic waveguides, demonstrates a lab-scale water waveguide capable of damping out a range Keep reading