A series of musico-visual treats — in a new genre called “soap film opera” — are being produced by Florence Elias and her colleagues at Laboratoire Matière et Sytèmes Complexes, Université Paris Diderot and at CNRS. The genre marries soap film, fluid dynamics, music, and videography. Here are three samples — “Habañera” from Carmen, “Lucilla”, and […]
Tag: fluid dynamics
New research on the fluid dynamics of the Boston Molasses Flood
A new scientific analysis aims to understand the fluid dynamics of the Boston Molasses Flood. The bursting of an enormous (about 2 million gallons) tank of molasses created one of the biggest disasters ever to hit that city. Although it happened almost a century ago — on January 15, 1919 — there’s been only a vague scientific understanding of […]
Fluid Dynamics and the Potential Cost of Long Genitalia in Male Guppies
Male guppies with long genitals may swagger, physically in a current, and metaphorically in the grand scheme of reproduction. Or not. This newly published study explores these questions: “A Potential Cost of Long Genitalia in Male Guppies: the Effects of Current Speed on Reproductive Behaviour,” Lucia Kwan, Adam N. Dobkin, F. Helen Rodd, and Locke […]
Coming attraction: Disgust: The Fluid Dynamics of the Gross
Fluid dynamics will swirl, both socially and scientifically, in Portland, Oregon, in November. The annual meeting of the American Physical Society (APS) Division of Fluid Dynamics will feature a disgust-packed, juicy special session: Session L1: Focus Session – Disgust: The Fluid Dynamics of the Gross Monday, November 21, 2016, 4:30PM L1.00001: A numerical investigation of a simplified human birth […]
The Physics of Water-skipping Stones
In stone skipping, one tosses a stone with a flattened surface across water (or other fluid) to try to get it to bounce as many times as possible. (There are also military applications, but let’s stick to the fun stuff.) A few months ago, mechanical engineer Tadd Truscott and collagues wrote a quick study on […]
Sharp look at Iggy fluid-dynamics
Nicole Sharp took a look at some of the fluid-dynamics-related Ig Nobel Prizes.
A poetical, time-centric film about fluid dynamics
Flora Lichtman produced another poetical video for Science Friday, this one about the mammal micturation duration research study that is garnering so much attention, and that will be discussed as part of a landmark session at the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, November 24, 2013: BONUS: Listen to Science Friday‘s radio […]
Sperm whale compared with sperm: Fluid dynamics
Sperm whales, sperm, the Reynolds number, Osborne Reynolds, Ed Purcell, and bacteria all figure in this short, clear video prepared by Aatish Bahaia and Brad Purnell:
Birth-Fluid Dynamics, and the Splashy Hydrodynamics of Urination
Aatish Bhatia (of Empirical Zeal) alerts us to an outpouring of soon-to-be-announced birth-centric and micturation-modulation fluid dynamics insights. Anne Staples [pictured here], of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, will chair a session on “Pumping Phenomenon“, at the American Physical Society’s 66th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics,in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on Sunday, […]
The “Cracking the Egg Sprinkler Mystery” video
Flora Lichtman’s video shows how two scientists connected eggs and milk to produce a pump. The video uses other, better ways to describe the situation. Click on the image, and be whisked to the Science Friday web site, to see the video: Some background info, from Science Friday: When engineer Tadd Truscott was in grad […]