Around the world, dry salt lakes are crisscrossed by thousands of meter-wide salt polygons. Although they resemble crack patterns, these structures are actually the result of convection occurring in the Keep reading
Category: Phenomena
Gigantic Jets
Stormy skies feature much more than the forked cloud-to-ground lightning we’re used to seeing. This composite image shows a rare and recently-recognized type of lightning known as a gigantic jets. Keep reading
“Plants That Explode”
We often think of plants as passive and stationary, but the truth is that some plants move faster than we can even see. In this “True Facts” video, Ze Frank Keep reading
Trapped in a Taylor Column
The world’s largest iceberg, A23a, is stuck. It’s not beached; there are a thousand meters or more of water beneath it. But thanks to a quirk of the Earth’s rotation, Keep reading
The Solar Corona in Detail
The sun’s corona — its outer atmosphere — is usually impossible to see, since it’s far outshone by the rest of the sun. But during a total solar eclipse, the Keep reading
Sediment Swirls
Turbulent flows feature swirling eddies over a range of sizes — the larger the size range, the higher the Reynolds number. In this satellite image, sediment highlights these eddies in Keep reading
Toying With Density and Miscibility
Steve Mould opens this video with a classic physics toy that uses materials of different densities as a brainteaser. Two transparent, immiscible liquids fill the container, along with beads of Keep reading
Paris 2024: Clearing the Air
A quartet of mushroom-shaped structures tower nearly 6 meters above the Olympic Village. Known as Aerophiltres, these devices filter particulates out of the air to provide cleaner air for the Keep reading
Paris 2024: Tennis Racket Physics
Like many sports that feature balls, spin plays a big role in tennis. By imparting a topspin or backspin to a tennis ball, players can alter the ball’s trajectory after Keep reading
Paris 2024: Beach Versus Indoor Volleyballs
Some of the differences between beach volleyball and indoor volleyball are obvious, like the number of players allowed — two versus six — and the courts — a smaller sand Keep reading