It’s impressive when a microscopic organism is visible from space, but that’s a regular occurrence for phytoplankton, the tiny marine algae that feed much of the ocean. In this video Keep reading
Category: Phenomena
Sandsculpting Bees
Building sandcastles is more than a pastime for the bumblebee-mimic digger bee. This species of bee collects water into an abdominal pouch, then uses it to wet sand to help Keep reading
Breaking Up Is(n’t) Hard to Do
Engineers often need to break a liquid jet up into droplets. To do so quickly, they surround the jet with a ring of fast-moving air in a set-up known as Keep reading
Moths in Flight
As student engineers, we often use fixed-wing aircraft to build our intuition for flight, but nature has so many other incredible examples to offer. Here we see high-speed video of Keep reading
Whiffling Geese
This wild photograph shows a goose flying upside down with its head turned 180 degrees in a behavior known as whiffling. In this orientation, the bird’s typical lift characteristics are Keep reading
Fish Versus Bird
You’ve seen birds catch fish, but have you ever seen a fish that catches birds? In this video, giant trevally fish hunt fledgling terns — including those in flight! To Keep reading
Shattering With Resonance
Resonance is a phenomenon that is both familiar and somewhat mysterious. It takes place when a system is excited near its natural frequency. In this case, we’re seeing a mechanical Keep reading
Fun From the Beach
Here’s a neat bit of fluid dynamics derived from a day at the beach! Our experiment begins with well-mixed (and likely compacted) sand grains and sea water in a bottle. Keep reading
Jupiter in Many Lights
Sometimes the key to unraveling a mystery is to observe the phenomenon in different ways. That’s why researchers are increasingly taking advantage of multiple instruments simultaneously observing targets like Jupiter. Keep reading
How Sewers Work
One of the most important and underappreciated pieces of urban infrastructure is the sewage system. We rely on them to make our waste vanish, as if by magic. In reality, Keep reading