Hydrogels are soft, stretchy solids made from polymer chains immersed in water. Engineers hope these materials will be good candidates for medical implants, but to reach that goal, hydrogels need Keep reading
Cavitation-Induced Microjets
In cavitation, tiny bubbles of vapor form and collapse in a liquid, often sending shock waves ricocheting. In most occurrences beyond the lab, cavitation bubbles aren’t a solo act; many Keep reading
Where Wind Meets Water
That the wind causes ocean waves is obvious to anyone who has spent time near the water, but the details of that process remain fuzzy. Many of the explanations — Keep reading
How To: Ink Flow Photography
Ever wanted to try your hand at making these cool billowing ink photos? Photographer Jason Parnell-Brookes has a detailed tutorial over at PetaPixel laying out the necessary tools and set-up. Keep reading
Snowflake Still-Life
To take these high-resolution images of individual snowflakes, Nathan Myhrvold and his collaborators built a special camera. Their apparatus keeps the snowflakes chilled despite the strong illumination cast on them. Keep reading
Solving the Teapot Effect
The teapot effect — that tendency for liquid to dribble down the outside of the spout when pouring — is a frustration to many tea drinkers. Unraveling the fluid dynamics Keep reading
A Colorful Fire Tornado
This one definitely belongs in the do-not-try-this-yourself category, but this Slow Mo Guys video of a colorful fire tornado is pretty spectacular. Using an array of different fuels and a Keep reading
Wet Masks Block Droplets Better
As wearing face masks for long periods has become more typical, you may have wondered whether a soggy mask offers less protection. All masks — cloth, surgical, and N-95s — Keep reading
Breaking Compound Ligaments
When pulled, viscous liquids stretch into ligaments that thin and then break into droplets. In this video, researchers investigate how these ligaments break up, depending on their composition. The initial Keep reading
“In Flight”
Photographer Mark Harvey captured these stunning portraits of birds in flight. From acrobatic songbirds to soaring raptors, the images show the incredible morphology of a bird’s wing during flight. Most Keep reading