At the bottom of ponds, nematodes and other creatures swim in a world of mud. They squirm their way through a sediment of dirt particles suspended in water. Mud, of Keep reading
Tag: granular material
Snake Tracks
Moving across sand is quite challenging for bipedal creatures like us, but other animals have their ways. Photographer Paul Lennart Schmid caught this snake on the move, with impressions of Keep reading
Packing Disks
Liquid crystals, bottles of pills, and hoppers of grains can all involve disk-shaped particles. To better understand how disks pack together, researchers studied how disks in a box orient themselves Keep reading
Forests Slow Avalanches
In snowy mountainous regions, avalanches are a dangerous and destructive problem. Researchers studying the mechanisms of these flows have a suggestion: plant more trees. A group of researchers found that Keep reading
Complex Dunes
Sometimes landscapes have a beauty that’s hard to see from the ground. This astronaut’s photo shows a dune field in the sand seas of Saudi Arabia. Vast linear dunes line Keep reading
To Clog or Not to Clog?
The clear plastic disks use to study clogging appear rather plain — at least until you look at them through polarizers. Then the disks light up with a web of Keep reading
Sliding on Sand
Getting around on sandy slopes is no easy feat. On steep inclines, even small disturbances will cause an avalanche. The predatory antlion takes advantage of this fact by building a Keep reading
Water Builds Static Charge
The ancient Greeks first recognized static electricity, but the mechanisms behind it remain somewhat mysterious. In particular, it’s unclear how two pieces of the same material can build a charge Keep reading
“Elements”
Photographer Mikko Lagerstedt specializes in Nordic landscapes, like the windswept snow seen here. I love the way he’s captured the snow that gets picked up and blown by the wind. Keep reading
Seashore Hunting
Watch sea gulls, plovers, and other birds hunt in the tidal zone, and you may notice them stepping over and over in the same spot. This is part of bird’s Keep reading