There's a Hell of a Lot More To Bubbles Than You Think

------
A long standing problem in physics has been to create a physical structure of foam/bubbles with the lowest energy state (optimum state of rest).  Already, computer simulations have succeeded.  Now, scientists just succeeded to create this orientation physically in the lab.

Here they share their journey and success.
This is a very dry, academic approach.



Video Credit: Trinity College Dublin found via PhysOrg

I think these scientists' reaction to their own project is a special thing to see.  These scientists solved a problem, gaining prestige and immense personal satisfaction.  Applications, innovations using this science mainly falls on the shoulders of scientists of the future.  There is a track record of science for the sake of science providing the groundwork for important real world usage, sometimes a generation or more later.  A large challenge we in America have with our diminishing science budget is the incapability of those slinging the money to appreciate that this is the case.







The Artistic Side to Bubbles
To accompany this, a work of art made by injecting inks into groups of bubbles.  First found on Krulwich Wonders over at NPR.  Krulwich interviews Manu.

Intuitively, people might think grouping bubbles would clump "squished, like a balloon." Not the case! 

An excerpt of the interview to keep in mind while watching:
"Over and over and over again, [where there is inter-bubble contact] it's the same angle! Roughly (in the natural soapsud world, there are variations around the mean) 120 degrees."


Compressed 02 from Kim Pimmel on Vimeo.

-----Sharing via these buttons will share the current article page, unless your current url is the main page of Astronasty. Click the title of the article to go to an individual article page.

Share Spread the Love