In deserts around the world, plants have adapted to collect as much moisture as they can. Geometry aids them in this endeavor because droplets on the tip of a cone Keep reading
Category: Phenomena
Coastal Erosion
The same dynamic forces that make coastlines fascinating create perennial headaches for engineers trying to maintain coastlines against erosion. This Practical Engineering video discusses some of the challenges of coastal Keep reading
Ultrasonic Vibrations
Ultrafast vibrations can break up droplets, mix fluids, and even tear voids in a liquid. Here, the Slow Mo Guys demonstrate each of these using an ultrasonic homogenizer, a piece Keep reading
Snowflake Velocimetry
In our era of remote learning, students don’t always have a chance to do hands-on lab experiments in the usual fashion. But that doesn’t mean they can’t explore important flow Keep reading
Strings of Swirls
Von Karman vortex streets are the rows of alternating vortices shed off isolated objects interrupting a flow. Here, the volcanic peaks of Cabo Verde disrupt an atmospheric flow accustomed to Keep reading
Chasing Tornadoes
Tornadoes are some of the most powerful storms on Earth. Their difficult-to-predict nature means that we still have a relatively scant understanding of exactly how they form. We know the Keep reading
Permeable Pavement
Controlling storm water is a major challenge in urban environments, where many surfaces are impermeable. In a city, rain cannot simply soak into the ground and filter into the water Keep reading
Kugel Fountains
At science museums and tourist attractions around the world, visitors can spin the multi-tonne spheres of kugel fountains with the brush of their hand. The secret of the sphere’s mobility Keep reading
Rocking From The Waves
Not all seismic activity stems from earthquakes. In fact, much of Earth’s measured seismic waves come from interactions of the ocean and atmosphere with solid ground. Some of the strongest Keep reading
Following the Flow
In early December 2020, the world’s largest iceberg — roughly 135 km long by 44 km wide — was heading straight for South Georgia Island. Luckily for the island, iceberg Keep reading