In the art of Akiko Nakayama, colors branch and split in a tree-like pattern. In studying the process, researchers found the physics intersected art, soft matter mechanics, and statistical physics. Keep reading
Tag: shear-thinning
A Toad’s Sticky Saliva
Frogs and toads shoot out their tongues to capture and envelop their prey in a fraction of a second. They owe their success in this area to two features: the Keep reading
A Look at Hagfish
Hagfish are the lords of slime. Their viscoelastic protection mechanism is so effective that they’ve hardly changed up their game in the past 300 million years. Instead, at the first Keep reading
Finger Painting Physics
Spreading paint with a brush or with fingers is familiar activity for most people. It’s also similar to processes used in industry for spreading thin layers of paint and other Keep reading
Studying Active Polymers Using Worms
I’ve covered some odd studies in my time, but this might be the strangest: to understand how active polymers affect viscosity, researchers loaded drunk worms into a rheometer. Active polymers Keep reading
Viscoelasticity and Liquid Armor
One proposed method for improving bulletproof armor is adding a layer of non-Newtonian fluid that can help absorb and dissipate the kinetic energy of impact. Thus far researchers have focused Keep reading
Swallowing Physics
Swallowing – whether of food, beverage, or medication – is an important process for humans, but it’s one many struggle with, especially as they age. To help study the physics Keep reading
Inside Fondue
Cheese fondue is a complex – and delicious – Swiss delicacy. The perfect fondue requires the right mix of ingredients and preparation to get the rheology – the flow character Keep reading
The Kaye Effect
Allow a stream of shampoo to fall into a pile and you’ll catch a glimpse of the bizarre Kaye effect. A jet of shampoo will briefly rise up before becoming Keep reading
Chocolate Fountain
Amidst your holiday celebrations, you may have encountered a chocolate fountain. In a recent paper, applied mathematicians have laid out the physics behind these delicious decorations, and it turns out Keep reading