Viscous fingers form when a low-viscosity fluid is pumped into a narrow, viscous-fluid-filled gap. The branching pattern that forms depends on the ratio of the two viscosities, among other factors. Keep reading
More Gigantic Jets
It’s wild that we’re still discovering new weather phenomena, but the gigantic jets seen here were only identified in 2002. This uncommon type of lightning shoots up from the tops Keep reading
First Ice
The early light of dawn illuminates ice forming at the edge of this pond in Vermont. Caught after a frigid mid-November night, the ice is some of winter’s first. The Keep reading
Tweaking Coalescence
When a drop settles gently against a pool of the same liquid, it will coalesce. The process is not always a complete one, though; sometimes a smaller droplet breaks away Keep reading
Billowing Ouzo
Pour the Greek liquor ouzo into water, and your glass will billow with a milky, white cloud, formed from tiny oil droplets. The drink’s unusual dynamics come from the interactions Keep reading
Underground Convection Thaws Permafrost Faster
In recent years, Arctic permafrost has thawed at a surprisingly fast pace. Much of that is, of course, due to the rapid warming caused by climate change. But some of Keep reading
Building Underwater Foundations
For bridges, deep-sea platforms, and marine wind turbines, engineers have to build secure foundations able to withstand extremely heavy loads. Just how do they do this? One technique — driven Keep reading
“Microscopic World”
So many natural processes take place right in front of us, but they’re too small and too fast to see. Here, the Beauty of Science team puts some of those Keep reading
Pterosaur Tail Vanes
Among vertebrates, pterosaurs were the first to achieve powered flight. Early pterosaurs have tail vanes — similar in appearance to the frills seen on some lizards — but later species Keep reading
The Shape of Rain
In our collective imagination, a raindrop is pendant shaped, wide at the bottom and pointed at the top. But, in fact, a falling raindrop experiences much more complicated shapes. Here, Keep reading