A water droplet immersed in a mixture of anise oil and ethanol displays some pretty complicated dynamics. Its behavior is driven, in part, by the variable miscibility of the three Keep reading
Tag: science
Eroding Ice
When glaciers form, they do so in layers, with clear blue ice sandwiched between sediment and air-bubble-filled white ice. Because each of these layers absorbs sunlight differently, they don’t melt Keep reading
Unsinkable Hydrophobic Metal
Although we typically describe hydrophobic surfaces as “water-repelling,” we could just as easily focus on the fact that they’re “air-attracting.” This video from The Action Lab demonstrates that property nicely Keep reading
Replacing Injections With Pills
In medicine, many medications contain molecules too large to be easily absorbed through the intestinal wall, so these so-called biologics — like the insulin administered to diabetics — are injected Keep reading
“Dendrite Fractals”
In this short film from the Chemical Bouillon team, dark ink drops spread in dendritic fractal patterns after being deposited on an unknown transparent liquid. Although the patterns look similar Keep reading
Dunes Avoid Collisions
The speed at which a dune migrates depends on its size; smaller dunes move faster than larger ones. That speed differential implies that small dunes should frequently collide into and Keep reading
Sunlight Is Older Than You Think
Joe Hanson over at “It’s Okay to Be Smart” has a great video on the random walk photons have to make to escape the core of the sun and other Keep reading
Kicking Droplets
Moving the surface a droplet sits on creates some interesting dynamics, especially if the surface is hydrophobic. That’s what we see here with these droplets launched off an impulsively-moved plate. Keep reading
Listening to a Bubble’s Pop
Sound is an important aspect of many flows, from the scream of a rocket engine to the hum of electrical wires vibrating in the wind. Critically, those sounds carry important Keep reading
The Cricket’s Chirp
Growing up, my summer nights often featured a chorus of crickets and bull frogs. Even now, the sound of those chirps reminds me of home. So how do crickets make Keep reading