In a 1959 lecture entitled “There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom”, Richard Feynman challenged scientists to create a tiny motor capable of propelling itself. Although artificial microswimmers took several Keep reading
Tag: electrohydrodynamics
Pyrocumulus on the Horizon
View this post on Instagram Time lapse of yesterday’s rare Pyrocumulus clouds churning high above the Idyllwild hellscape, bringing with them strong winds, the threat of lightning and turbulence that Keep reading
Collecting Fog
In some parts of the world, fog is a major source of freshwater, but collecting it is a challenge. Most systems use a wire mesh to capture and collect droplets, Keep reading
The Rose-Window Instability
This polygonal pattern is known as the rose-window instability. It’s formed between two electrodes – one a needle-like point, the other flat – separated by a layer of oil. The Keep reading
Equatorial Streaming
Here you see a millimeter-sized droplet suspended in a fluid that is more electrically conductive than it. When exposed to a high DC electric field, the suspended drop begins to Keep reading
Plasma Flow Control
Engineers frequently face the challenge of maintaining control of air flow around an object across a wide range of conditions. After all, wind turbines and airplanes don’t always get to Keep reading
Kelvin’s Thunderstorm
In this video, Derek Muller explains how an experiment known as Lord Kelvin’s thunderstorm generates electricity from falling water. The set-up relies on a positive feedback loop that creates a separation Keep reading
Reconfigurable Liquid Metal
Terminator 2’s T-1000, a liquid metal robot capable of changing its shape at will, just became a little less far-fetched. Researchers at NC State have reported a new method for controlling Keep reading
Liquid Crystal Films
Smectic liquid crystals can form extremely thin films, similar to a soap bubble, that are sensitive to electrically-induced convection. Here an annular smectic film lies between two electrodes. When a Keep reading
Floating Water Bridges
Water bridges that seem to float on air are an electrohydrodynamic phenomenon. By filling two beakers with extremely pure deionized water and applying a large voltage across them, flow is Keep reading