Hagfish are the lords of slime. Their viscoelastic protection mechanism is so effective that they’ve hardly changed up their game in the past 300 million years. Instead, at the first Keep reading
Optimal Bubble Clusters
With a bubble wand, it’s quite easy to create clusters of two or more soap bubbles. These clusters seem to instantly find the lowest energy state, forming a shape that Keep reading
Dandelion Seeds
Each seed on the head of a dandelion has a preferred wind direction, according to new research. Seeds facing the breeze are most likely to release from the head, with Keep reading
Turning the Beach Pink
Lab experiments and numerical simulations can only take us so far; sometimes there’s no substitute for getting out into the field. That’s why a beach in San Diego turned pink Keep reading
The Optical Atom
Researchers applied a quantum mechanical technique to study an evaporating drop in extreme detail. The team trapped a spherical water drop and collected the light scattered off it as it Keep reading
Racing Dunes
The deserts of Namibia are home to some of the fastest and most consistent winds in the world. As a result, they’re also home to some of the fastest-moving dunes Keep reading
“Dark Matter”
In “Dark Matter” photographer Alberto Seveso captures billowing black pigment against a bright red backdrop. Seveso excels at capturing the developing turbulence in sinking fluids. I’m always blown away by Keep reading
Martian Wind Power
To support a crew on Mars, a landing site must offer resources like water and allow for sufficient power generation. Thus far, most analyses of this sort have focused on Keep reading
Frozen in Ice
Air can dissolve in water, but not in ice. So as water freezes, any dissolved gases have to get squeezed out in order for the ice crystals to grow. Once Keep reading
Swimming Intermittently
Many fish do not swim continuously; instead, they use an intermittent motion, swimming in a sudden burst and then coasting. This intermittent swimming is tough to simulate, due to its Keep reading