These “flowers” blossom as two injected chemicals react in the narrow space between two transparent plates. The chemical reaction produces a darker ring that develops a streaky outer edge due Keep reading
Tag: diffusion
Anoles Revisited
Longtime readers may recall seeing this little bubble-crowned anole previously. This species dives underwater to escape predators and will breathe and rebreathe a bubble of air for as much as Keep reading
Backswimmers
Backswimmers rule the surface of ponds, streams, and other bodies of water. These insects spend much of their time clinging just beneath the air-water interface, where they hunt larvae and Keep reading
Double Diffusive Flow
Diffusion is the tendency for differences in a fluid — in density, temperature, or concentration — to even out over time. Think about a drop of food coloring in a Keep reading
Teaching Diffusion With Eggs
Many cultures around the world marinate hard-boiled eggs — like pickled eggs in Europe or tea- and soy-infused eggs from Asia. These delicacies offer a fun (and tasty) way to Keep reading
Mushy Layers
In many geophysical and metallurgical processes, there is a stage with a porous layer of liquid-infused solid known as a mushy layer. Such layers form in sea ice, in cooling Keep reading
The Structure of the Blue Whirl
Several years ago, researchers discovered a new type of flame, the blue whirl. Now computational simulations have helped them untangle the complex structure of this clean-burning flame. Their work shows Keep reading
Making a Miniature River
Despite wide differences in ecology and geology, rivers around the world share certain fundamental features. Physicists study these characteristics by creating small-scale rivers in the laboratory, like the experiment featured Keep reading
“Silk”
With the right lighting and eye, billowing streaks of dye and paint can become the ethereal wisps of silk. Artist Susi Sie explores this dichotomy in “Silk,” a short, fluidic film Keep reading
Water Anoles Breathe Underwater
Meet the water anole, a small lizard native to the tropics of Central America. While studying these anoles, researchers discovered that they could flee underwater and remain submerged for 16 Keep reading