The way a sphere enters water depends on its size, speed, and surface properties. A hydrophilic (water-attracting) sphere behaves differently than a hydrophobic (water-repelling) one. But what happens when the Keep reading
Tag: superhydrophobic
The Unsinkable Pygmy Gecko
The Brazilian pygmy gecko is a tiny inhabitant of the Amazon rainforest, growing to no longer than 24 mm. But these tiny lizards have some incredible superpowers when it comes Keep reading
When Honey Flows Faster Than Water
With its high viscosity, no one would ever pick honey to beat water in a race. But a new study shows there’s at least one circumstance where honey wins: inside Keep reading
The Best of FYFD 2020
2020 was certainly a strange year, and I confess that I mostly want to congratulate all of us for making it through and then look forward to a better, happier, Keep reading
Rolling Off a Duck’s Back
Ducks and other water fowl need protection from the elements. Fortunately for them, the structure of their feathers cleverly helps them shed water. As seen in this video, feathers have Keep reading
Coalescing Drops
This year’s Nikon Small World in Motion competition was won by fluid dynamics! The first place video shows droplets on a superhydrophobic surface coalescing. The droplets are a mixture of Keep reading
Crystalline Critters
In 5th grade, I grew crystals by evaporating solutions of salt water from miniature pie tins. The results were white, boxy crystals whose size depended on how much salt I’d Keep reading
Leaping Hoops
Some water-walking insects are able to leap off a watery interface. One way to model these creatures is with elastic hoops, which can also propel themselves off the water’s surface. 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
Bouncing Off Defects
The splash of a drop impacting a surface depends on many factors — among them droplet speed and size, air pressure, and surface characteristics. In this award-winning video from the Keep reading