Flocks of birds and schools of fish swarm in complicated collective motions, but groups of non-living components can move collectively, too. In this Lutetium Project video, we learn about grains Keep reading
Month: September 2021
Visualizing Music With Ferrofluids
Here’s an ultra-cool DIY project: a Bluetooth speaker with ferrofluid music visualization! The music playing through the speaker drives an electromagnet, which causes the magnetic ferrofluid to pulse and shred Keep reading
Bubbles Rising
Here we see high-speed video of air bubbles rising through sesame oil. The flow rate of air is just right for one bubble to catch up to and merge with Keep reading
Snapping When Swollen
The Venus flytrap snaps shut on its hapless prey by swelling cells in its leaves with water. Under the added pressure of a fly’s footstep, the leaves’ snapping instability triggers, Keep reading
Breaking Ocean Currents
Our global ocean currents move enough water to dwarf the flow of all Earth’s rivers. This worldwide circulation is driven largely by density and the movements of cold, salty water Keep reading
Predicting Meteotsunamis
Meteotsunamis, or meteorological tsunamis, are large waves driven by weather rather than seismic energy. Although they occur along shorelines throughout the world, forecasters have very little infrastructure in place to Keep reading
“Le Temps et l’Espace”
Filmmaker Thomas Blanchard creates a slow and dreamy fluid landscape in “Le Temps et l’Espace”. Made with ink and paints, the visuals are beautiful and serene. For similar works, be Keep reading
Snail Locomotion
Snails and other gastropods move using their single muscular foot and a viscoelastic fluid they secrete. Muscular waves in the foot run from tail to head and are transmitted to Keep reading
Jovian Auroras
Like Earth, Jupiter is home to polar auroras that light the sky as charged particles interact with the planet’s magnetosphere. A recent paper identifies interesting features in the aurora that Keep reading
Inside the Blockage of the Suez Canal
In March 2021, the world watched as the Ever Given container ship got stuck in the Suez Canal, disrupting global shipping for more than a week. In this Practical Engineering Keep reading