logo
Trippy liquid 'fireworks' appear when scientists try to mix unmixable fluids

Trippy liquid 'fireworks' appear when scientists try to mix unmixable fluids

Yahoo5 days ago
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.
These mysterious "fireworks" aren't lighting up the night sky — they're computer simulations from a recent paper on mixing fluids that don't want to mix.
Researchers mapped out how two immiscible fluids (two fluids that do not mix, like oil and water) with different viscosities can create "fingers" when they interact. They created different patterns by alternately injecting the fluids at the center of each "firework," allowing the fluids to spread out.
Studying this phenomenon is important for storing carbon from the atmosphere in the ground, a strategy for tackling climate change. Carbon dioxide is responsible for about 80% of all heating from human-caused greenhouse gases since 1990. Removing large amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere is possible, but it still has to go somewhere. Storing it in the ground is one option — and understanding fluid interactions can help us figure out how to do that.
In this case, the word "fluid" can refer to both gases and liquids, including gaseous carbon dioxide. Viscosity is a measure of how easily a fluid moves. Fluids with high viscosity move sluggishly, like molasses or tar, while low-viscosity fluids move faster and can spread out more, like water or air.
The fluid "fireworks" are caused by Saffman-Taylor instability — a phenomenon that occurs when two immiscible fluids with different viscosities are confined in a small space. When a less viscous fluid is added to the system, there aren't a lot of places for it to go, so it pushes against the thicker fluid instead — forming the distinctive patterns.
If you've ever put a drop of glue between two flat surfaces, then changed your mind and pulled them apart, you might have noticed the wet glue forming strange ridges and channels. This is Saffman-Taylor instability in action. When you pulled the pieces apart, air tried to go where the more viscous glue was and left those patterns behind.
Related: Why does nearly all life breathe oxygen?
Storing carbon dioxide in the ground involves "injecting" carbon dioxide gas into a more viscous liquid (water) in confined spaces underground, leading to Saffman-Taylor instability. The "fireworks" from the paper show that the number and extent of the fingers can be changed depending on when and how the fluid is injected into the system. Increasing the fingering effect helps keep the gas from escaping back into the atmosphere.
RELATED STORIES
—Inside the 20-year quest to unravel the bizarre realm of 'quantum superchemistry'
—Scientists just got 1 step closer to creating a 'superheavy' element that is so big, it will add a new row to the periodic table
—Chemists broke a 100-year-old rule to make extremely unstable molecules
People across the globe are already working on carbon sequestration (storage) projects — as of 2024, there were 50 facilities in operation, 44 being built, and an additional 534 in development according to the Global CCS (carbon capture and storage) Institute. Developing this technology further gives us more tools to rein in global heating caused by the presence of too much carbon dioxide in Earth's atmosphere.
Solve the daily Crossword
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Brilliant teenage students develop mind-blowing inventions to solve global crisis: 'I got goosebumps'
Brilliant teenage students develop mind-blowing inventions to solve global crisis: 'I got goosebumps'

Yahoo

time5 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Brilliant teenage students develop mind-blowing inventions to solve global crisis: 'I got goosebumps'

Brilliant teenage students develop mind-blowing inventions to solve global crisis: 'I got goosebumps' More than 100 young innovators gathered at the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi this June to develop solutions to climate change and build the future, one planet-friendly prototype at a time. ETV Bharat reported that the Change Makers 2025 Summer Bootcamp brought together 106 students aged 15 to 19 from across India to develop real-world solutions to the climate crisis. Over three weeks, students formed teams and tackled pressing issues like carbon emissions, microplastics, e-waste, and heatwaves. The teams then turned their ideas into working prototypes under the mentorship of scientists, professors, and entrepreneurs at the institute. Students at the bootcamp introduced a range of bold, locally relevant innovations that did things like convert pedal power into electricity and transform irrigation with data. One green tech project, Re-Volt Ride, uses a bicycle-mounted dynamo to generate clean electricity for charging phones and LED lights. Another project dubbed Neer-Veer tackles water waste in agriculture with a solar-powered smart irrigation system that includes sensors and a dashboard to guide farmers' decisions. "I got goosebumps watching the final presentations," said professor and bootcamp coordinator Jay Dhariwal. "These kids aren't just learning, they're doing, and with the right support, some of these projects could become national interventions." The initiative behind these projects does not stop after the program ends; students will receive continued mentorship and scaling support to kickstart their ideas. According to 4-H, climate change is top of mind for 84% of teens. While for some, thinking about rising global temperatures — and their negative impact on humanity and the environment — may cause anxiety, for others, it spurs local action and inspires hope. "Most people experiencing climate-related distress are not hiding under the covers. They're taking action to help solve the problem," said Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Programs like the Change Makers Bootcamp, which center solutions-oriented thinking, inspire action and give youth the opportunity to make a real impact in their communities and beyond. One LinkedIn post about the Changemakers program read, "They are not just visitors - they are future founders, innovators, and problem-solvers in the making." How interested are you in going solar? Very Somewhat Not at all I've already gone solar Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet. Solve the daily Crossword

Non-Hormonal Male Birth Control Pill Passes Key Test
Non-Hormonal Male Birth Control Pill Passes Key Test

Gizmodo

time6 hours ago

  • Gizmodo

Non-Hormonal Male Birth Control Pill Passes Key Test

For many couples, the numerous options for birth control still come with plenty of hassles. But scientists are working on an alternative approach that might be more appealing for some: a non-hormonal male birth control pill with possibly very few side effects. The drug is codenamed YCT-529, and it's being developed by the company YourChoice Therapeutics, in conjunction with researchers from the University of Minnesota and others. In early human trial results published this week, YCT-529 appeared to be safe and tolerable. The drug is now being tested in larger-scale studies. Injectable Male Birth Control Effective for at Least 2 Years, Says Biotech Startup YCT-529 (previously known as GPHR-529) targets how the body interacts with vitamin A, which helps maintain fertility in mammals. It blocks a protein that binds to a form of vitamin A (retinoic acid) in our cells, known as retinoic acid receptor alpha (RAR-α). By selectively blocking RAR-α and not other similar proteins, the hope is that YCT-529 will reduce sperm production to zero without causing any major side effects. Importantly, this process is also meant to be reversible once people stop taking the drug. The company began its first clinical trial of YCT-529 in late 2023, and the findings of the trial were published this week in Communications Medicine. It involved 16 healthy men who received either a daily placebo or varying doses of YCT-529; some were also given the drug in combination with food. Phase I trials are primarily intended to test a drug's safety, and YCT-529 seemed to pass with flying colors. Compared to controls, the men on YCT-529 experienced no changes in their heart rate, sex drive, mood, or levels of fertility-related hormones. In fact, no adverse events likely related to the drug were documented at all, the researchers found. There was some evidence that food might slow people's absorption of the drug, though more study is needed to know for sure. 'These results warrant further clinical development of YCT-529,' the study authors wrote. With a New Gel, the Future of Male Birth Control Looks Bright As promising as this data looks, it is still very early days. That said, YourChoice Therapeutics has already forged ahead with a larger Phase II study of YCT-529. And the race to create the world's first reversible male birth control is only heating up. Other research teams and companies have developed contraceptive gels and implants that have also shown promise in human trials so far. Soon enough, men will hopefully have several birth control options to pick from, just like women.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store