Highlights from the Gallery of Fluid Motion

Each year, the Fluid Dynamics division of the American Physical Society holds a conference. This year, the meeting is in Long Beach, California, in November.

One of the highlights is the impressive set of videos of fluid motion that the delegates put together. These videos have already begun to appear on the arViv in impressive numbers.

Videos are an effective and increasingly popular way of publishing research. Expect to see more like this.

But there are clearly better ways to make them available other than as downloads from the arXiv or as videos in a room in Long Beach. One obvious option is to make them available on streaming websites such as YouTube andVimeo. As far as I can tell, they are not available like this.

Another is to create a website that showcases them in advance, to make it a global, web-based event. Many of the videos are superb. Not only could they command a bigger audience, they deserve it.

If plans are afoot to make the Gallery of Fluid Motion a bigger event, then great. If not, shame!

Here is my selection of the highlights this year.

UFO: “Unidentified” Floating Object Driven by Thermocapillarity (video 8.3 MB)

Remote Control of Moving Sessile Droplets (video 9.6 MB)

Donut-shaped Bubbles Formed by Raindrops (mpeg-1 video 9.7 MB)

Ants as Fluids: Physics-Inspired Biology (video 8.7MB)

The Tibetan Singing Bowl (video 7 MB)

Avalanche Of Particles In Evaporating Coffee Drops (video 13 MB)

Note: High resolution versions of these videos are also available from the arXiv