Celebrating the physics of all that flows with Nicole Sharp, Ph.D.
- Profile
“Evanescent”
Giant iridescent inflatables dot public spaces in the “Evanescent” exhibit. The “bubble-tecture” is the work of Sydney-based artistic collaboration Atelier Sisu. Conceived during the pandemic, the duo “endeavoured to communicate this feeling of transient beauty and the need to live in the moment through the idea of the bubble.” The exhibit has appeared in more…
Water Builds Static Charge
The ancient Greeks first recognized static electricity, but the mechanisms behind it remain somewhat mysterious. In particular, it’s unclear how two pieces of the same material can build a charge between them simply by touching. Yet we regularly see examples of this when volcanic ash creates enough charge to discharge lightning. A new study sheds…
A 2D Splash
We see plenty of droplets splash when they fall into a pool, but what happens when the drop and pool are two-dimensional? Here researchers captured the familiar process of a splash in an unfamiliar way by looking at a falling drop contained within a soap film. As the drop reached the thicker lower boundary of…
Explaining Salt Polygons
Around the world, salt playas are criss-crossed with meter-sized polygons formed by ridges of salt. The origins of these structures — and the reason for their consistency across different regions of the world — have been unclear, but a new study shows that salt polygons form due to convection happening in the soil underground. Through…
Jackson Water Crisis
In the United States, we expect clean water from our taps, but the experiences of Jackson, Mississippi over the last several years are a reminder that we cannot take that water for granted. Since 2020, aging infrastructure, chronic underfunding, and extreme weather have placed the city in a state of emergency. Residents are often under…
“Fade”
Stingrays swim over rippled sands in this award-winning image from photographer Gregory Sherman. Above this peaceful vista, waves break and a dramatic skyscape looms. It’s the regular back-and-forth of the waves that shapes the ripples of sand. The rays can also use the sand for cover; note the remnants of sand atop a few of…
Stellar-Wind-Shaped Nebula
Stars about 100 times more massive than our sun live fast and die young. They burn through their hydrogen supply quickly, then start fusing heavier elements. As they do, their strong stellar winds start blowing off the exterior layers of the star. That’s the story behind WR 40, the star at the center of Nebula…
Bouncing Bullets Off Water
With the right shot, it’s possible to skip a bullet off water, as shown in this video from the Slow Mo Guys. The angle of the bullet relative to the water needs to be quite shallow, as this sets the bullet up for the hydrodynamic lift needed to skip. Physically, the mechanism for skipping a…
Soap Film Ruptures
Soap film ruptures are well understood for your typical bubble solution, but what happens when tiny particles get added to the soap film? That’s the question in this recent study. Researchers added 660-nanometer particles, in varying amounts, to their soap films to see how it affected rupture. When they broke the films just after formation…
Spiral Ice Cracks
This odd puddle was found in Arizona after a night with low temperatures around -8 degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit). Unlike the concentric rings sometimes seen on ice, this puddle formed one spiraling crack. It’s hard to know exactly what factors played into this formation since it was only found after the fact, but one…