Once again Steve Mould is putting his prototyping skills to use to work out what goes on inside tricky containers. Here he looks at a “magic” wizard’s cup where — Keep reading
Month: February 2025
Saving Energy By Following a Leader
Scientists have long suspected that birds save energy by following a leader — think of the V-shaped flight formation used by geese — but a new study captures that savings Keep reading
The Real Butterfly Effect
The butterfly effect — that the flapping of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil can cause a tornado in Texas — expresses the sensitivity of a chaotic system to initial conditions. Keep reading
Making a Splash
Since Harold Edgerton’s experiments with stroboscopic photographs in the 1930s, we’ve been fascinated by the shape of splashes. These days students and artists can take advantage of programmable external flashes Keep reading
How Water Droplets Charge Up
Rubbing a balloon on your hair can build a significant electrical charge. Water droplets have the same issue when they slide across a hydrophobic, electrically-insulated surface. A new study models Keep reading
Mardi Gras Pass
The mighty Mississippi River has long been bound by humanity’s efforts. To keep the river in place and control its flooding, engineers have built levees, canals, and other structures. But Keep reading
How to Run on Water
Ahead of the Olympics, I’ve written a feature article for Physics World that explores how basilisk lizards and grebes run on water and what it would take for a human Keep reading
A Shallow Origin for the Sun’s Magnetic Field
The Sun‘s complex magnetic field drives its 11-year solar activity cycle in ways we have yet to understand. During active periods, more sunspots appear, along with roiling flows within the Keep reading
Wasps in Flight
Personally, I’ve had some bad encounters with wasps, but Dr. Adrian Smith of Ant Lab feels the insects receive short shrift. In this video, he shows many species in the Keep reading
“Emitter”
For this latest experimental film, artist Roman De Giuli provides a glimpse of the unique fluid art machine he’s built over the last 3.5 years. With 10 channels driven by Keep reading