Celebrating the physics of all that flows with Nicole Sharp, Ph.D.
- Profile
Martian Polar Troughs
Mars‘s northern pole is capped by a spiral-like pattern of deep troughs that are covered by carbon dioxide ice in winter but visible from orbit in summer. A new study posits that the spiral formed by wind erosion, exposing layer after layer of Martian geology. The center of Mars’s polar cap is higher in the…
Unusual Insects Taking Off
What do you do when you’re an insect researcher with a high-speed camera? Why, film all sorts of unusual insects from your backyard as they take off and fly! Here Dr. Adrian Smith of Ant Lab shows us a slew of insects that are not unusual for their rarity — you can probably find many…
How Frogs Block Unwanted Noise
In a crowded room, it can be hard to pick out the one conversation you want to hear. This so-called “cocktail party problem” is one animals have to contend with, too, when a noisy landscape can obscure the calls of potential mates. American green tree frogs have a clever solution to the problem: inflating their…
“Playing With Time”
The Macro Room team is back with this clever video that messes with our perception of time. I’d hate to give anything away here, so just go check it out! (Image and video credit: Macro Room)
When Rivers Break Their Banks
Rivers often change their course, but they do not always do so gradually. River avulsions are a bit like earthquakes — they happen suddenly and with disastrous potential. Researchers find that these sudden course changes happen when silt builds up in a river and reduces the amount of water it can carry. Eventually, the resistance…
Springtails Jump Off Water
Springtails are tiny hexapods often found near water, where they execute their superpower: backflipping off the water’s surface. When standing on the water, the springtail’s hydrophilic claws protrude beneath the water surface and give it traction. But its spring-loaded furcula is hydrophobic, so when it snaps down it strikes the water without breaking through. The…
When Squids Fly
Some species of squid fly at speeds comparable to a motorboat for distances of 50 meters. The cephalopods get into the air the same way they swim underwater: by expelling a jet of water through the center of their body. Once aloft, the squids spread their tentacles to form a semi-rigid wing-like surface for lift.…
The Variable Venusian Day
Venus is a thoroughly unpleasant place thanks to its hellish temperatures and acidic clouds, but a new study adds another wrinkle to our strange sister planet: Venus’s day varies by up to 21 minutes in length. This peculiar factoid is the result of 15 years spent monitoring Venus’s rotation via radar. Previous attempts to pin…
“Phoenix Rising”
This aerial photo of Lake Owens by Paul Hoelen won a 2020 Drone Photo Award in the Abstract category. As Hoelen notes, “The phoenix rising is a symbol of re-emergence from the ashes of fire.” Lake Owens was used for years in mining and other industries, which left the lake desiccated and depleted. But nature…
Flamingo Filter-Feeding
Flamingoes are strange and ungainly creatures, but their hooked bills make much more sense when you see them eating underwater. The birds are filter feeders, and they suck water, mud, and silt in through the front of their bills and pump it back out the sides. In between hairy structures called lamellae help them separate…