As blocks of sea ice shift and float, they can press together, forming ridges spaced every few hundred meters or so. A new study uses aerial observations from recent decades Keep reading
Tag: drag reduction
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: Cycling in Crosswinds
Wind plays a major role in cycling, since aerodynamic drag is the greatest force hampering a cyclist. In road racing, both individual cyclists and teams use tactics that vary based Keep reading
Paris 2024: Coordinating the Front-Crawl
Of all the swimming strokes humans have invented, none is faster or more efficient than the front-crawl. That’s why all competitors use it in freestyle events, and why it’s the Keep reading
Paris 2024: Triathlon Swimming
Unlike the swimming competition, Olympic triathletes complete their swim legs in open waters. There are no lane dividers and no rules against drafting off a fellow athlete. Curious to see Keep reading
Paris 2024: Swimsuit Tech
The aughts were an exciting time to watch competitive swimming. Records were falling left and right, especially in 2008 and 2009. The first wave of improvements came around 2000, with Keep reading
Butterfly Scales
Catch a butterfly, and you’ll notice a dust-like residue left behind on your fingers. These are tiny scales from the butterfly’s wing. Under a microscope, those scales overlap like shingles Keep reading
Drag Reduction for Swimming Shrimp
Marsh grass shrimp, despite their small size, are zippy swimmers. They move using a series of closely-spaced legs that stroke asynchronously. Researchers found that the flexibility and stiffness of the Keep reading
“Reconfiguring It Out”
Leaves flutter and bend in the breeze, changing their shape in response to the flow. Here, researchers investigate this behavior using flexible disks pulled through water. The more flexible the Keep reading
Measuring Drag
After a noticeable rise in the prevalence of home runs beginning in 2015, Major League Baseball commissioned a report that found the increase was caused by a small 3% reduction Keep reading