Activate the Mechanism!

rationalhub:

Haha, this is awesome.

quantumaniac:

Cheerios Effect

In fluid mechanics, the study of fluids and their reaction to forces, the Cheerios effect is the observable tendency for small floating objects to attract one another.  It is obviously named for Cheerios, the breakfast cereal - because the small o’s tend to clump together or cling to the sides of the bowl. The effect is caused by surface tension and buoyancy, and the effect also acts towards the behavior of bubbles in soft drinks to stick together. 

The effect applies to any small, yet macroscopic object that floats or clings to the surface of a liquid. Some liquids, notably water, when near the side of a glass form a meniscus - a curved section of the liquid. 

When these small objects are placed in the liquid, they form a dent in the formerly smooth surface. If two objects placed in the same liquid are close enough together, they will ‘fall in’ to each other because of these small dents. Additionally, objects near the edge of the bowl interact with the meniscus and curve upwards along it - appearing to cling to the side. Thus, there is no attractive force between the objects, but rather the effect is due to the geometry of the liquid surface. 

That’s really interesting! I saw a documentary recently about how a scientist on the international space station put fine particle material into a bag - under the micro gravity on the space station, it all started clumping together spontaneously, which would explain how planets begin to form from dust.

It’s what I initially thought of when I saw this article, but it seems these phenomenon happen for different reasons.

(via jensenjaundice)

scienceisbeauty:

This is the first-ever map of the surface of an exoplanet, or a planet beyond our solar system. The map, which shows temperature variations across the cloudy tops of a gas giant called HD 189733b, is made from infrared data taken by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope. Hotter temperatures are represented in brighter colors.

Source: First Map of an Exoplanet Atmosphere, Spitzer Space Telescope

Dear science, I love you.

jtotheizzoe:

the-star-stuff:

Where’s The Higgs?

by Maki, Sci-ence

Click Here for a larger version of the image

That Higgs shit is bananas. And squash.

Great description, but mainly re-blogging because of the Darmok/Jalad sign the protester is holding. 

(via constantinconsistence)

cosmo-logic:

How “White Holes” Might Be Formed (click the image to enlarge!)

This is nerd porn.

(via ohmysagan)

and the same could be said of any of the other sciences…