For the next week, FYFD is going to be exploring the physics of walking on water. Birds, bugs, and balls can all do it – we’ll look at how! To top off the week, I’ll be holding my first-ever FYFD live webcast on Saturday, March 5th at 1 pm EST (10 am PST; 6 pm GMT). My guests are Professor Tadd Truscott and PhD student Randy Hurd of the Splash Lab! Tadd, Randy, and their Splash Lab compatriots have been responsible for someofmyfavoriteFYFDtopicsoverthepastfiveyears and I’m super excited to have them on the webcast.
Normally, my webcasts will be reserved for FYFD’s $5+ Patreon patrons, but since this is a special occasion, we’re going to make the Hangout on Air link live to any FYFD patron on Patreon. Not a patron yet? What are you waiting for? Go sign up! You don’t want to miss this.
As a bonus, here’s Randy demonstrating his research:
tl;dr version: FYFD is launching a Patreon campaign. If you enjoy FYFD and want to help support its continued growth, please become a patron today!
And the longer version: At the start of the year, I hinted that there were big things ahead for FYFD. Today’s announcement is part of that. In the past five years, FYFD has grown beyond my wildest dreams. I’m so excited, grateful, and happy to share my love for science with all of you. As FYFD’s audience has grown, so have my plans and dreams for expanding the site and what it does. I want to bring you more: videos that take you behind-the-scenes to see the scientific process firsthand, interviews that let you meet the people behind the work, and articles that explore new and exciting fluid phenomena.
All of the research, filming, writing, and editing necessary to bring those dreams to life takes time and money. I can provide the first: from now on, I’ll be dedicating my full-time attention to FYFD. But I need your help and support to make this possible. That’s why I’m launching a campaign on Patreon. If you enjoy FYFD and want to help it continue and grow, please consider becoming a patron. Your monthly support will enable me to dedicate my full energy to FYFD and will provide funding for materials, equipment, and travel so that I can bring the science back to you.
There are also some pretty cool rewards available to patrons! All patrons will have access to a patrons-only activity feed where I post behind-the-scenes content and extras like video outtakes. It’s also a place where I’ll look for feedback on new ideas. Think of it as an extra dose of FYFD. Other rewards include getting your name added to the FYFD supporter page, getting a handwritten postcard from me, and access to a monthly webcast where I’ll chat with guest scientists and patrons. (I’m really excited about that last one!)
Whether you become a patron or not, I want to thank you for your support. None of those would be possible without you and your enthusiasm. As always, the best thing you can do to support FYFD is to tell others how much you like it.Thank you!
If you have any questions, I’ll be online all day. You can reach me via Tumblr, Twitter, or email.
2015 was a pretty good year. FYFD turned five, we had a great reader survey response, and Tumblr gave us a Tumblr Lifetime Achievement! Guess that means I’ve got more in common with Wil Wheaton and the New York Public Library than my lifelong obsession with books.
Without further ado, I give you the top 10 FYFD posts of 2015:
It’s only fitting to take a moment to look back at 2014 as we step into the New Year. It was a big year in many respects – we hit 1000 posts and broke 200,000 followers; I started producing FYFD videos on our YouTube channel; and, on a personal note, I finished up my PhD. But since we’re all about the science around here, I will give you, without further ado, the top 10 FYFD posts of 2014:
I can’t help but notice that 9 out of the 10 posts feature animated GIFs. Oh, Tumblr, you rascals. Happy New Year! (Image credits: BBC; A. Rivest; E. Lutz; Nat. Geo/BBC2; ESA/Hubble; R. Zhao et al.; D. Petit; A. Schueth; B. Kueny and J. Florence; Flow Visualization at UC Boulder)
Exciting milestone: 200,000 Tumblr followers! What a great early birthday present. Thank you to everyone who follows, shares, asks questions, and submits topics. FYFD wouldn’t be what it is today without all of you.
Next week marks FYFD’s 4th birthday! It’s hard to believe that it’s been so long, or that the blog and I have come so far. I set out with the intention of explaining fluid dynamics to a broad audience because it’s a subject we all experience daily and yet one that few learn formally. (I also, as you may have guessed from the blog’s name, didn’t take things too seriously.) Many things have surprised me these past four years, but one of my favorites is how much I’ve learned. In researching and writing FYFD, I am constantly learning new and fascinating physics. I love it every time something new stuns me with its beauty, its cleverness, or its jaw-dropping, mind-blowing awesomeness. In celebration of that feeling, next week’s posts will revisit some of my favorite subjects, especially those that did and do amaze me. In the meantime, try not to let the ice cream melt. Unless you’re into that. (Video credit: I. Yang; submitted by Stuart B.)
Last night I walked across the stage as a student for the last time, receiving my PhD in aerospace engineering and getting hooded by my advisor in a tradition with roots back to medieval scholars. Even more so than the defense, it marked an official end to my PhD. None of that is really fluid dynamical, but I wanted to use the opportunity to thank each and every one of you who read and support FYFD. This blog began on a whim while I was a graduate student waiting for an opportunity to do the experiments I needed. I never could have predicted at the time the impact it would have on my life. FYFD became a part of my daily life, and thanks to you, readers, it became a source of inspiration and motivation for me as I pursued my studies. I have learned so much more about fluid dynamics in writing FYFD and answering your questions than I would ever have on my own. I have had opportunities to travel, to communicate and even meet with people from all corners of the globe who share some of my enthusiasm for the subject. It has been a wonderful experience so far, and I hope for many more ahead. Thank you all for being a part of it! (Photo credit: J. Mai)
Today is FYFD’s 1000th post! It’s been a wild ride over the last three-and-a-half years and I cannot thank you all enough for coming along. I’m continually amazed by FYFD’s popularity among readers of all ages and backgrounds, and it’s truly a joy to see excitement for fluid dynamics spreading.
The keen-eyed among you may have noticed a subtle change to the main page: I successfully defended my PhD Friday! I’m still working on wrapping my head around the idea of not being a student any more.
Anyway, I just wanted to take a few minutes to celebrate. I encourage you to take a look back at the archives, which are full of amazing science and physics, or read one of the themed series FYFD has featured. And, if you’ve enjoyed the blog, please don’t hesitate to spread the word! Thank you all again for your support. 🙂
The Winter Olympics are underway in Sochi, Russia, and here at FYFD, I am busy preparing a special series of posts on fluid dynamics in the Winter Games. Look for the first of those starting on Monday. In the meantime, you can check out some of FYFD’s previous themed series now compiled into a special archive. (Photo credit: B. Armangue)
There’s a new interview with me up at Pointwise’s Another Fine Mesh. In it I talk about FYFD, my advice to students, the future of CFD, women in engineering, the space program, and where to find great burgers. Be sure to check it out!
