This photograph of a ship seemingly floating far above the water is not some Photoshop fakery; it’s physics creating the illusion. It’s an example of what’s known as a superior Keep reading
Tag: refraction
The World in a Droplet
Capturing refracted images in a droplet is a popular pastime among high-speed photographers, and in this solo Slow Mo Guy outing, we get to see that process in video. Physically, Keep reading
Captured by Waves
Acoustic levitation and optical tweezers both use waves — of sound and light, respectively — to trap and control particles. Water waves also have the power to move and capture Keep reading
Lensing in a Straw
While doing the sort of experiment only a kid or a scientist would pursue – namely, staring down a straw – Dianna noticed that water in a straw creates a Keep reading
Underwater Optical Illusions
On a hot day, it’s not unusual to catch a glimpse of a shimmering optical illusion over a hot road, but you probably wouldn’t expect to see the same thing 2,000 meters Keep reading
Seeing the Wake
Hot exhaust gases churn in the wake of this climbing B-1B Lancer. The high temperature of the exhaust changes the density and, thus, the refractive index of the gases relative Keep reading
Flamethrowing
Humans have long been fascinated by staring into flames, and the Slow Mo Guys carry on the grand tradition here with 4K, high-speed video of a flamethrower. Like firebreathers, a Keep reading
Seeing Blast Waves
With a large enough explosion, it’s actually possible to see shock waves. This high-speed camera footage shows the detonation of a car packed with explosives. After the initial flash, you Keep reading
Blast Waves Visualized
Typically, shock waves are invisible to the human eye. Using sensitive optical techniques like schlieren photography, researchers in a lab can visualize sharp density gradients like shock waves or even Keep reading
Reader Question: Heat Shimmer
Reader dialectical-induction asks: Being as its pretty hot right now where I am, I was always curious, what exactly is occurring when the air is seemingly rippling on a hot Keep reading