The mystery of wrinkly fingers may be a step closer to an explanation. “Everyone has experienced wrinkly fingers after an extended exposure to water. These wrinkles have been proposed as an evolutionary mechanism for a better grip of wet objects. However, besides experimental observations or mathematical theories, there is still not a clear agreement whether […]
Tag: wet
Waterside properties – the financial ups and downs.
The question : ‘If your house is at risk of flooding, does that make it worth less?’ – has been answered by investigators at the Department of Economics, East Carolina University, US. The research team used a Semiparametric Hedonic Price Function Model combined with Geographic Information System data on National Flood Insurance Program flood zones […]
Podcast#21: Objects found in people’s rectums
“In subsequent years, as consumer confidence soared, so, too, did the purchasing of goods that would find their way into people’s rectums.” Hidden objects — of many kinds — turn up in this week’s Improbable Research podcast. Click on the “Venetian blinds” icon — at the lower right corner here — to select whichever week’s episode you want […]
Raincoat Non-Functionality in NZ
Raincoat (Noun) ‘A waterproof or water-resistant coat worn to protect the body from rain.’ (Definition at Wikipedia). If you buy a raincoat, you may reasonably expect it to keep out the rain. But you may be disappointed. Attention is drawn to the failings of raincoats in a recent Master of Philosophy thesis from Auckland University […]
The physics of the wet dog shake
Behold the basic physics of the wet dog shake, as explored by Andrew Dickerson, Grant Mills, Jay Bauman, Young-Hui Chang, David Hu of the Georgia Institute of Technology. Their (skimpy, introductory) paper is available on arxiv — it’s really an introduction to this entrancing video (also available in a higher-res version): (Thanks to Joseph Amaslab […]