Fluid Dynamics

Have you ever wondered why walking from point A to B can be easy in some places, and incredibly frustrating in others? Well, scientists have uncovered the mathematical equation that underpins how foot traffic can collectively descend into utter chaos.

Ordinarily, if you want liquid to flow in only one direction through a pipe, that pipe has to have a flap-type valve – which could fail. Now, scientists have created a new type of more robust one-way-flow pipe, which was inspired by shark intestines.

Harvard engineers have created a strange new “metafluid” – a liquid that can be programmed to change properties, like its compressibility, transparency, viscosity and even whether it’s Newtonian or not.

In fluid dynamics, hard science often comes with dazzling aesthetic beauty – a fact the American Physical Society highlights annually with a photo/video contest. Here are this year's winners – equal parts fascinating, hypnotic and visually stunning.

We’re willing to bet you’ve never given much thought to how bugs urinate, but even if you did you probably wouldn’t imagine them using butt-based pinball paddles to flick drops of pee at 40 G’s, using physics never before seen in nature.

Researchers at MIT have observed “electron whirlpools” for the first time. The bizarre behavior arises when electricity flows as a fluid, which could make for more efficient electronics.

This design concept is an entirely fictional work made in conjunction with Yamaha, but it raises an interesting idea: that the greasy chain and sprockets might be replaced with a water-forced drive system pushing power to the back wheel.

The Ferox Azaris is a work of art to look at, and should offer some awesome rough terrain capabilities - but at its heart, it's a test bed and demonstrator for a new, 98% efficient, highly responsive fluid drive system that Ferox hopes will enable some pretty crazy future vehicle architectures.

Engineers at Stanford University claim to have created the world’s first water-operated computer. Using magnetized particles flowing through a micro-miniature network of channels, the machine is said to be capable of performing complex logical operations.

After studying how birds' flapping wings use fluid dynamics to push air back while moving the animals forward, two scientists from New York University have developed a pump that works in a unique fashion – and it has teeth.

To make sure that astronauts are suitably caffeinated, the Italian coffee company Lavazza is developing the ISSpresso; the first espresso machine built to meet the needs of astronauts who need a decent jolt before facing the day.

McLaren, Aston Martin, Lamborghini and Ferrari have all done it ... now Jaguar Land Rover has done it, too. The automaker recently joined forces with a major bicycle manufacturer, to create a super high-end bike. In this case, Jag collaborated with Pinarello to design the new Dogma F8 road bike.