Celebrating the physics of all that flows with Nicole Sharp, Ph.D.
- Profile
Strandbeest Evolution
Each spring, artist Theo Jansen releases his latest batch of wind-driven kinetic sculptures — known as Strandbeests — on a Dutch beach. This video compilation shows some of the newest strandbeests, including a variety of flying strandbeest. I find their motion mesmerizing. Some stroll, some undulate, some galumph their way across the the sands. Given…
Using Turbulence in Flight
When small, heavy particles are in a turbulent flow, they settle faster than in a quiescent one. Their interactions with turbulent eddies sweep them along, extracting energy that lengthens their overall path but reduces the time necessary for them to fall. Using the same principles, researchers are finding ways for rotorcraft and other vehicles to…
Brilliant Auroras
Glowing auroras billow across Canada in this satellite image from a recent geomagnetic storm. As our sun enters a more active part of its solar cycle, we can expect more space weather as the high-energy particles of the solar wind interact with our planet’s magnetic field. The auroras themselves are light released by energetically excited…
Deciphering Krakatau
In 1883, the eruption of Krakatau (also called Krakatoa) shook the world, sending shock waves and tsunamis ricocheting across the globe. Some of the smaller waves hit shorelines in the Atlantic and Pacific that were entire continents and ocean basins away from the original explosion. At the time, scientists were so perplexed by the phenomenon…
Stormy Skies
Photographer Mitch Dobrowner captures the majestic and terrifying power of storms in his black and white images. Towering turbulence, swirling vortices, and convective clouds abound. See more of his work at his website and Instagram. (Image credit: M. Dobrowner; via Colossal)
Squishy Actuators
Hard materials don’t always work well in robotics. Here, researchers build soft actuators that can bend, curl, and tighten in order to manipulate objects. They begin by injecting liquid elastomer into a tube (Image 1), followed by a bubble of air. Buoyancy makes the air bubble rise within the tube, creating an asymmetric cross-section where…
Re-Entry For X-Wings
Fans of sci-fi and fantasy have a long-standing tradition of exploring the physics and/or practicality of creations in their fandom, and Star Wars fans are no exception. Here engineers ask whether Luke Skywalker’s X-wing fighter could survive the descent through Dagobah’s atmosphere as he searched for Master Yoda. Their results are based on a numerical…
Ant Bridge
As red ants scout their way to food, the terrain can sometimes get in the way. Here a leading scout has made their body into a bridge that their fellows can use to cross the watery gap. Take a close look at the water’s surface and you’ll see that the meniscus curves up to meet…
Box Closing Physics
My fellow board game aficionados (and anyone else who regularly opens and closes lidded boxes) have probably noticed the way a lid drops slowly onto its box once aligned. The weight of the lid pressurizes air inside the box, driving a flow through the narrow gap between the walls of the box and the lid.…