Drinking straws reveal new laws for the flow of fluids

"...sipping through a straw defies all the previously known laws for the resistance or friction of flow through a pipe or tube."

James Devitt-NYU • futurity
March 23, 2023 ~5 min

Some popping bubbles shoot concentrated aerosols

New research illustrates why popping bubbles fire some contaminants into the air, while allowing others to sink harmlessly.

Andrew Thurston-Boston U. • futurity
March 16, 2023 ~9 min


Giant underwater waves affect the ocean’s ability to store carbon

Underwater waves deep below the ocean’s surface – some as tall as 500 metres – play an important role in how the ocean stores heat and carbon, according to new

Cambridge University News • cambridge
March 16, 2023 ~6 min

How to push, wiggle, or drill an object through sand

A method for quickly predicting the forces needed to push objects through soft, granular materials could help engineers drive robots or anchor ships.

Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office • mit
Jan. 19, 2023 ~7 min

Moving water and earth

A new understanding of how particle shape controls grain flow could help engineers manage river restoration and coastal erosion.

Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office • mit
Jan. 11, 2023 ~7 min

How cancer cells move and metastasize is influenced by the fluids surrounding them – understanding how tumors migrate can help stop their spread

Counterintuitively, cells move faster in thicker fluids. New research on breast cancer cells explains why, and reveals the role that fluid viscosity plays in metastasis.

Yizeng Li, Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Binghamton University, State University of New York • conversation
Jan. 9, 2023 ~7 min

Computational system streamlines the design of fluidic devices

This computational tool can generate an optimal design for a complex fluidic device such as a combustion engine or a hydraulic pump.

Adam Zewe | MIT News Office • mit
Dec. 9, 2022 ~8 min

Keeping indoor humidity levels at a “sweet spot” may reduce spread of Covid-19

A new study links very dry and very humid indoor environments with worse Covid-19 outcomes.

Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office • mit
Nov. 17, 2022 ~8 min


Small eddies play a big role in feeding ocean microbes

Swirling waters replenish nutrients in open ocean, a new study finds, and could mitigate some climate change effects.

Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office • mit
Oct. 3, 2022 ~7 min

Ocean scientists measure sediment plume stirred up by deep-sea-mining vehicle

A new field study reveals a previously unobserved fluid dynamic process that is key to assessing impact of deep-sea mining operations.

Jennifer Chu | MIT News Office • mit
Sept. 21, 2022 ~8 min

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