Physics in Pictures
Cornstarch Dimples
A vibrating cornstarch solution appears to come alive and grow fingers. A dimple in the fluid created by a burst of air expands into a deep hole.
Cracking Up
If you dropped a wineglass, you'd expect it to shatter, not skitter across the floor like a silver goblet would.
My Cup Runneth Down
It might seem intuitively obvious that a layer of dense liquid resting on a less dense liquid is an unstable situation. But what isn't so obvious is the complex way that liquids arranged in this manner tend to move.
Supernovae Surprise
There's no avoiding the tragic end of a large star's life: it dies in a catastrophic explosion called a supernova.