The Best of FYFD 2023

A fresh year means a look back at what was popular last year on FYFD. Usually, I give a numeric list of the top 10 posts, but this year the analytics weren’t as clear. So, instead, I’m combining from a few different sources and presenting an unordered list of some of the site’s most popular content. Here you go:

• Eroding the Sphinx
• Getting Water Out of Your Ear
• Can Water Solve a Maze?
• Dandelion Seeds
• Black Holes in a Bathtub
• Mixing With E. coli
• Beneath the Cavity
• Leidenfrost Explosions
• Toilet Plumes
• Exascale Simulations
• Ghosts of Rivers Past
• Blood Flow in a Fin
• Snake Tracks
• Lagoon Nebula
• “Chaosmosis”

I’m really pleased with the mix of topics this year; many of these topics are straight from research papers, and others are artists’ works. At least one is both. From swimming bacteria to star-birthing nebulas, fluid dynamics are everywhere!

If you enjoy FYFD, please remember that it’s a reader-supported website. I don’t run ads and it’s been years since my last sponsored post. You can help support the site by becoming a patron, making a one-time donation, buying some merch, or simply by sharing on social media. And if you find yourself struggling to remember to check the website, remember you can get FYFD in your inbox every two weeks with our newsletter. Happy New Year!

(Image credits: sphinx – S. Boury et al., ear model – S. Kim et al., maze – S. Mould, dandelion – S. Chaudhry, water tank – P. Ammon, e. coli – R. Ran et al., drop impact – R. Sharma et al., Leidenfrost – L. Gledhill, toilet – J. Crimaldi et al., engine sim – N. Wimer et al., rivers – D. Coe, fin – F. Weston, snake – P. Schmid, nebula – J. Drudis and C. Sasse, flames – C. Almarcha et al.)