FYFD

Tag: fluids as art

  • Snowflake Still-Life

    Snowflake Still-Life

    To take these high-resolution images of individual snowflakes, Nathan Myhrvold and his collaborators built a special camera. Their apparatus keeps the snowflakes chilled despite the strong illumination cast on them. It uses a 500 microsecond shutter and focus-stacking to produce incredibly detailed portraits of these ephemeral subjects. Each snowflake’s shape is the result of the temperature and humidity that crystal experienced as it grew. Since these are natural snowflakes, no two are alike, but, with enough environmental control, it is possible to make twin snowflakes. (Image credit: N. Myhrvold; via Colossal)

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    A Colorful Fire Tornado

    This one definitely belongs in the do-not-try-this-yourself category, but this Slow Mo Guys video of a colorful fire tornado is pretty spectacular. Using an array of different fuels and a ring of box fans, Gav sets up a vortex of flame that transitions smoothly from red all the way to blue. As he points out in the video, the translucency of the vortex is so good that you can see how the two sides of the vortex rotate! (Video credit: The Slow Mo Guys)

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    “The Green Reapers”

    This short film from artist Thomas Blanchard focuses on carnivorous plants and their prey. These plants — including Venus fly traps, sundews, and pitcher plants — rely on fluids both to attract and capture their prey. Plants like the Venus fly trap build turgor pressure in their cells to move and prop open their leaves. Once triggered, a mechanical release allows the fluid pressure to snap the trap closed. Sweet-smelling fluids invite insects in, only to become nightmarishly difficult to escape once prey try to unstick themselves from the highly viscoelastic liquids. (Video and image credit: T. Blanchard; via Colossal)

  • Yosemite in Winter

    Yosemite in Winter

    Waterfalls, fog, and snow wreathe Yosemite in these beautiful winter landscapes by photographer Michael Shainblum. I love how the tendrils of water and mist give you a real sense of the flow, even in still photos. Check out more of Shainblum’s photography on his Instagram and go behind-the-scenes on his Yosemite trip with this video. (Image credit: M. Shainblum; via Colossal)

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    “Beyond the Horizon”

    Shifting bubbles and psychedelic colors abound in this abstract video from artist Rus Khasanov. He provides no specifics as to the materials he uses for this video, but my guess is they likely include oil, soap, and polarizing filters. It’s a fun and funky video! See more of Khasanov’s work on his website and Instagram. (Image and video credit: R. Khasanov)

  • Liquid Umbrellas

    Liquid Umbrellas

    Two well-timed and properly aligned droplets combine to create these umbrella-like fluid sculptures. The initial drop creates a jet that shoots upward. When the second drop hits that jet, it forms an expanding sheet of liquid like a miniature parasol. The higher the viscosity of the drops, the less lacy and unstable the sheet’s rim will be.

    Although set-ups for these sorts of pictures can be finicky, they’re very doable, even for amateur photographers. In fact, the techniques used here have been around for about a century! (Image and research credit: A. Kiyama et al.)

  • Stormy Landscapes

    Stormy Landscapes

    Photographer Mitch Dobrowner captures the power of major storm systems across the western United States and Canada in these dramatic black-and-white images. Misty clouds, massive downpours, bulbous mammatus clouds, and lonely landscapes abound. You can find more of his work on his website and Instagram. (Image credit: M. Dobrowner; via Colossal)

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    Siberia’s Lena River Delta

    As rivers near the sea, they often slow down and branch out, creating intricate paths through delta wetlands. This video explores the Arctic’s largest river delta, that of the Lena River in Siberia, during its spring and summer flood season. The images were all taken by satellite and processed with color enhancements to highlight patterns in the water. Although this is not quite how the area would appear by eye, all of the visible patterns are real. (Image credit: N. Kuring/NASA’s Ocean Color Web; video credit: K. Hansen; via NASA Earth Observatory)

    Enhanced color satellite image of the Lena River delta in Siberia.
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    Making Lava Lamps

    Since their invention in the 1960s, lava lamps have been a fascinating example of convection in action. In this video, we see how they’re manufactured, including blowing the glass bottles, shaping the metal holder, and filling the lamps. The key to the lamp’s performance is the delicate thermal balance of its two liquids. As the waxy liquid warms, it floats up the lamp until it reaches the top, cools, and sinks back down to begin again. The exact formulation of the liquids is a closely guarded secret! Want more lava lamps? Check out how a wall of them help secure Internet traffic. (Image and video credit: Business Insider)

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    Making Horsehair Pottery

    Native American potter Eric Louis combines traditional and modern techniques in his horsehair pottery. Like his mother and grandmother before him, he collects local clay and pottery shards to make the slip that forms his pieces. After molding and an initial firing in a kiln, he uses wood chips to keep the pottery hot while he applies horsehair. The hair ignites and carbonizes, leaving behind distinctive patterns in the clay that create a backdrop for his etchings. See more of his finished work here. (Image and video credit: Insider)