#turbulence — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #turbulence, aggregated by home.social.
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🌪️ Turbulence: The Greatest Unsolved Problem in Classical Physics
Despite centuries of research, turbulence remains one of the deepest mysteries in physics. From the chaotic wake behind an aircraft to swirling hurricanes, ocean currents, combustion, blood flow, and even the birth of stars, turbulent motion is everywhere, yet predicting it precisely remains extraordinarily difficult.
This challenge has fascinated some of history's greatest scientific minds. Horace Lamb famously remarked that, upon reaching heaven, he hoped to finally understand quantum electrodynamics and turbulence, adding that he was "rather optimistic" about the former. Richard Feynman likewise described turbulence as one of the most important unsolved problems in classical physics. A quote often attributed to Werner Heisenberg expresses a similar sentiment, although its authenticity remains uncertain.
The difficulty lies in turbulence's nonlinear nature: tiny changes can produce dramatically different outcomes, with countless interacting vortices spanning an enormous range of scales. While the Navier–Stokes equations describe fluid motion, obtaining complete analytical solutions for turbulent flows remains one of the greatest challenges in physics, mathematics, and computational science.
Understanding turbulence isn't merely an academic pursuit, it has profound implications for aviation, climate modelling, renewable energy, engineering, astrophysics, medicine, and space exploration. Every advance brings us closer to more efficient aircraft, more accurate weather forecasts, cleaner energy systems, and deeper insights into the natural world.
Sometimes, the most familiar phenomena are also the most mysterious.
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🌪️ Turbulence: The Greatest Unsolved Problem in Classical Physics
Despite centuries of research, turbulence remains one of the deepest mysteries in physics. From the chaotic wake behind an aircraft to swirling hurricanes, ocean currents, combustion, blood flow, and even the birth of stars, turbulent motion is everywhere, yet predicting it precisely remains extraordinarily difficult.
This challenge has fascinated some of history's greatest scientific minds. Horace Lamb famously remarked that, upon reaching heaven, he hoped to finally understand quantum electrodynamics and turbulence, adding that he was "rather optimistic" about the former. Richard Feynman likewise described turbulence as one of the most important unsolved problems in classical physics. A quote often attributed to Werner Heisenberg expresses a similar sentiment, although its authenticity remains uncertain.
The difficulty lies in turbulence's nonlinear nature: tiny changes can produce dramatically different outcomes, with countless interacting vortices spanning an enormous range of scales. While the Navier–Stokes equations describe fluid motion, obtaining complete analytical solutions for turbulent flows remains one of the greatest challenges in physics, mathematics, and computational science.
Understanding turbulence isn't merely an academic pursuit, it has profound implications for aviation, climate modelling, renewable energy, engineering, astrophysics, medicine, and space exploration. Every advance brings us closer to more efficient aircraft, more accurate weather forecasts, cleaner energy systems, and deeper insights into the natural world.
Sometimes, the most familiar phenomena are also the most mysterious.
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And #FantasticVoyage lived up to expectations…
It looked fantastic. #Turbulence was mentioned very early on… 🥳 and the sets were so cool.
And there cant be many movies where a plot point is resolved by a dude whipping out a slide-rule?
The only downer was that it was an afternoon movie and the weather was the nicest we’ve had in weeks. 😐
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And #FantasticVoyage lived up to expectations…
It looked fantastic. #Turbulence was mentioned very early on… 🥳 and the sets were so cool.
And there cant be many movies where a plot point is resolved by a dude whipping out a slide-rule?
The only downer was that it was an afternoon movie and the weather was the nicest we’ve had in weeks. 😐
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💁🏻♀️ TIL: 🦅💨 The nankeen #kestrel, a tiny Australian #falcon, flies with exceptional stability in turbulent winds, inspiring one international #research team.
Wind tunnel #experiments showed wing and tail extensions helped #birds maintain lift and reduce #flight irregularities. The team aims to integrate these features into small #drones as #climatechange increases atmospheric #turbulence.
👉 https://www.popsci.com/technology/falcon-aircraft-turbulence/
#biomimicry #nankeekestrel #engineering #robotics #climate #aviation #australia #animals #technology #tech
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💁🏻♀️ TIL: 🦅💨 The nankeen #kestrel, a tiny Australian #falcon, flies with exceptional stability in turbulent winds, inspiring one international #research team.
Wind tunnel #experiments showed wing and tail extensions helped #birds maintain lift and reduce #flight irregularities. The team aims to integrate these features into small #drones as #climatechange increases atmospheric #turbulence.
👉 https://www.popsci.com/technology/falcon-aircraft-turbulence/
#biomimicry #nankeekestrel #engineering #robotics #climate #aviation #australia #animals #technology #tech
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Droplets in dense sprays live much longer than expected. The surrounding vapor saturates locally, delaying evaporation.
What controls the system is not the droplet, but the evolving vapor field.
🔗 https://journals.aps.org/prfluids/abstract/10.1103/ms1r-7jb9
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Droplets in dense sprays live much longer than expected. The surrounding vapor saturates locally, delaying evaporation.
What controls the system is not the droplet, but the evolving vapor field.
🔗 https://journals.aps.org/prfluids/abstract/10.1103/ms1r-7jb9
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“Inferno”
Nothing showcases the incredible power of our atmosphere like storms, and no one does stormchase photography like Mike Olbinski. In this vignette, he shows a stunning line of supercells caught near sunset on July 17, 2022. The high shear–combined with the setting sun–put on an incredible show. Dust blown up in a haboob, microbursts and downpours in the distance, and lots of churning, roiling turbulence. (Video and image credit: M. Olbinski)
#convection #fluidDynamics #fluidsAsArt #haboob #microburst #physics #science #supercell #thunderstorm #turbulence -
“Inferno”
Nothing showcases the incredible power of our atmosphere like storms, and no one does stormchase photography like Mike Olbinski. In this vignette, he shows a stunning line of supercells caught near sunset on July 17, 2022. The high shear–combined with the setting sun–put on an incredible show. Dust blown up in a haboob, microbursts and downpours in the distance, and lots of churning, roiling turbulence. (Video and image credit: M. Olbinski)
#convection #fluidDynamics #fluidsAsArt #haboob #microburst #physics #science #supercell #thunderstorm #turbulence -
From coffee-like swirls to atmospheric chaos, a data-driven model reproduces turbulent particle motion across scales using auto-regressive learning with memory effects.
https://phys.org/news/2026-05-driven-captures-dynamics-turbulence-scale.html
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From coffee-like swirls to atmospheric chaos, a data-driven model reproduces turbulent particle motion across scales using auto-regressive learning with memory effects.
https://phys.org/news/2026-05-driven-captures-dynamics-turbulence-scale.html
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Experiment Probes Particle Influence on Turbulent Streams
ISS experiment reveals how tiny particles change turbulent fluid flows, impacting weather and engine design. Read the findings.
#ISSexperiment, #FluidDynamics, #Turbulence, #SpaceScience, #ParticleFlow
https://newsletter.tf/iss-particle-influence-turbulent-fluid-flows/
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Scientists on the ISS found that small particles significantly change how turbulent fluids move. This is different from what we usually see on Earth.
#ISSexperiment, #FluidDynamics, #Turbulence, #SpaceScience, #ParticleFlow
https://newsletter.tf/iss-particle-influence-turbulent-fluid-flows/ -
On Dolphin Turbulence
Dolphins are such fast and agile swimmers that, naturally, scientists have long wanted to understand how they swim so well. A recent study draws on numerical simulation to analyze the flow a dolphin creates when flapping its tail.
The resulting flow is highly turbulent–researchers were only able to simulate up to a fraction of a dolphin’s actual Reynolds number–with both large-scale vortices and a cascade of smaller ones. The largest vortices, shown here in white, form on the upper and lower surface of the dolphin’s tail, then slide off the tail in a vortex ring. It’s these vortex rings, the researchers found, that provide the bulk of a dolphin’s thrust.
The smaller-scale vortices, in contrast, get formed by the large vortices, and they make little to no contribution to the dolphin’s propulsion. Interestingly, these results suggest that we might be able to describe the propulsion of dolphins and other highly turbulent swimmers by focusing only on the largest scales in the flow. (Video, image, and research credit: Y. Motoori et al.; via Ars Technica)
Animation of the simulated flow from a swimming dolphin. #biology #CFD #computationalFluidDynamics #dolphins #fluidDynamics #numericalSimulation #physics #propulsion #science #swimming #turbulence -
On Dolphin Turbulence
Dolphins are such fast and agile swimmers that, naturally, scientists have long wanted to understand how they swim so well. A recent study draws on numerical simulation to analyze the flow a dolphin creates when flapping its tail.
The resulting flow is highly turbulent–researchers were only able to simulate up to a fraction of a dolphin’s actual Reynolds number–with both large-scale vortices and a cascade of smaller ones. The largest vortices, shown here in white, form on the upper and lower surface of the dolphin’s tail, then slide off the tail in a vortex ring. It’s these vortex rings, the researchers found, that provide the bulk of a dolphin’s thrust.
The smaller-scale vortices, in contrast, get formed by the large vortices, and they make little to no contribution to the dolphin’s propulsion. Interestingly, these results suggest that we might be able to describe the propulsion of dolphins and other highly turbulent swimmers by focusing only on the largest scales in the flow. (Video, image, and research credit: Y. Motoori et al.; via Ars Technica)
Animation of the simulated flow from a swimming dolphin. #biology #CFD #computationalFluidDynamics #dolphins #fluidDynamics #numericalSimulation #physics #propulsion #science #swimming #turbulence -
What does turbulence look like in a quantum fluid?
Researchers are exploring how Bose–Einstein condensates shift from weak to strong turbulence, revealing how energy cascades behave when quantum mechanics takes over.
🔗 https://physicsworld.com/a/what-happens-when-a-bose-einstein-condensate-becomes-turbulent/
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What does turbulence look like in a quantum fluid?
Researchers are exploring how Bose–Einstein condensates shift from weak to strong turbulence, revealing how energy cascades behave when quantum mechanics takes over.
🔗 https://physicsworld.com/a/what-happens-when-a-bose-einstein-condensate-becomes-turbulent/
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Continuous injection and advection of Lagrangian passive tracers into a grid MHD cosmological (ENZO) simulation, to track where matter goes as function of time. Still testing stuff with my @julialang code run in post-processing over many saved snapshots. Complex flow and baryons circulation patters even under just the "simple" effect of gravity and fluid-dynamics.
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Continuous injection and advection of Lagrangian passive tracers into a grid MHD cosmological (ENZO) simulation, to track where matter goes as function of time. Still testing stuff with my @julialang code run in post-processing over many saved snapshots. Complex flow and baryons circulation patters even under just the "simple" effect of gravity and fluid-dynamics.
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Final report reveals #truth behind deadly #SingaporeAirlines flight SQ321 #turbulence
" #SIA said tt across 29,000 #Boeing777 flights btw May 2023 & July 2025, 12 cases of under-detection, 4 cases of overdetection & 20 cases of not detecting inclement weather were logged. Te SQ321 aircraft accounted for 1 of te non-detection cases & 2 of te under-detection cases. When te #aircraft was flown back to🇸🇬 fr BKK aft te incident, indicat'ns of under-detection also occurred"🧐 1/2
https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3354218/final-report-reveals-truth-behind-deadly-singapore-airlines-flight-sq321-turbulence?utm_source=rss_feed -
Final report reveals #truth behind deadly #SingaporeAirlines flight SQ321 #turbulence
" #SIA said tt across 29,000 #Boeing777 flights btw May 2023 & July 2025, 12 cases of under-detection, 4 cases of overdetection & 20 cases of not detecting inclement weather were logged. Te SQ321 aircraft accounted for 1 of te non-detection cases & 2 of te under-detection cases. When te #aircraft was flown back to🇸🇬 fr BKK aft te incident, indicat'ns of under-detection also occurred"🧐 1/2
https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3354218/final-report-reveals-truth-behind-deadly-singapore-airlines-flight-sq321-turbulence?utm_source=rss_feed -
The Milky Way's Turbulence Distorts Light from Distant Quasars
https://atlas.whatip.xyz/post.php?slug=the-milky-ways-turbulence-distorts-light-from-distant-quasars
<p>We may be getting better images of the Milky Way's supermassive black hole in the future
#turbulence #distorts #distant #images -
Turbulence in the Milky Way's ISM Distorts Light from Distant Quasars
https://atlas.whatip.xyz/post.php?slug=turbulence-in-the-milky-ways-ism-distorts-light-from-distant-quasars
<p>We may be getting better images of the Milky Way's supermassive black hole in the future
#turbulence #distorts #distant #images -
Aflutter in the Breeze
Fabrics flutter in seemingly impossible ways in artist Thomas Jackson‘s images. But despite first appearances, each photograph is true to life; the fabrics are suspended on taut lines. Their dance is driven by wind energy, drag, tension, and flow–not manipulated pixels. I love the (turbulent) energy of them! (Image credit: T. Jackson; via Colossal)
#flapping #fluidDynamics #fluidSolidInteraction #fluidsAsArt #flutter #instability #physics #science #turbulence -
Aflutter in the Breeze
Fabrics flutter in seemingly impossible ways in artist Thomas Jackson‘s images. But despite first appearances, each photograph is true to life; the fabrics are suspended on taut lines. Their dance is driven by wind energy, drag, tension, and flow–not manipulated pixels. I love the (turbulent) energy of them! (Image credit: T. Jackson; via Colossal)
#flapping #fluidDynamics #fluidSolidInteraction #fluidsAsArt #flutter #instability #physics #science #turbulence -
Recreating Atmospheres
In planetary atmospheres, energy and vorticity can cascade from large scales to smaller ones, but the mechanics of this transfer remain somewhat elusive. In a recent experiment, researchers built a lab-scale representation of an atmosphere using a meter-scale rotating annular tank. The outer bottom edge of the tank gets heated–representing the sun’s warming at the equator–while a pipe in the center of the tank gets cooled near the tank surface, which mimics the chilling effect of the poles. Researchers filled the tank with a water-glycerol mixture and recorded how their artificial atmosphere responded at different rotation rates.
Two different rotating atmospheres, colored by vorticity (red clockwise, blue counterclockwise). The left version has a slower rate of rotation, and thus larger length scales.The results show an energy spectrum that’s consistent with atmospheric observations–with a steep drop at large length scales and a flatter one at smaller scales. But interestingly, they also found that the cascade was temperature-dependent in ways that current models don’t predict. Untangling that effect could help us understand not only our atmosphere but those of other planets. (Image credit: tank – H. Scolan, animation – S. Ding et al.; research credit: S. Ding et al.; via APS)
#atmosphericScience #energyCascade #flowVisualization #fluidDynamics #physics #planetaryScience #rotatingFlow #science #turbulence #vorticity -
Recreating Atmospheres
In planetary atmospheres, energy and vorticity can cascade from large scales to smaller ones, but the mechanics of this transfer remain somewhat elusive. In a recent experiment, researchers built a lab-scale representation of an atmosphere using a meter-scale rotating annular tank. The outer bottom edge of the tank gets heated–representing the sun’s warming at the equator–while a pipe in the center of the tank gets cooled near the tank surface, which mimics the chilling effect of the poles. Researchers filled the tank with a water-glycerol mixture and recorded how their artificial atmosphere responded at different rotation rates.
Two different rotating atmospheres, colored by vorticity (red clockwise, blue counterclockwise). The left version has a slower rate of rotation, and thus larger length scales.The results show an energy spectrum that’s consistent with atmospheric observations–with a steep drop at large length scales and a flatter one at smaller scales. But interestingly, they also found that the cascade was temperature-dependent in ways that current models don’t predict. Untangling that effect could help us understand not only our atmosphere but those of other planets. (Image credit: tank – H. Scolan, animation – S. Ding et al.; research credit: S. Ding et al.; via APS)
#atmosphericScience #energyCascade #flowVisualization #fluidDynamics #physics #planetaryScience #rotatingFlow #science #turbulence #vorticity -
“Sidewall Symphony”
Flow visualization is both an art and science in fluid dynamics. Here, researchers were interested in studying the separation bubble that forms over a backward-facing ramp–a shape that shows up, for example, on an aircraft. In these areas, the flow over the surface separates, leaving an unsteady, recirculating bubble.
That’s the flow that researchers are visualizing here. They’ve done so by adding tiny helium-filled soap bubbles to the flow. With bright lights illuminating the bubbles, each one leaves a streak in a photograph, showing where the bubble moved during the time the camera’s shutter was open. Although images like these are beautiful, they can also be analyzed by computers to extract the underlying flow that created the image. (Image and research credit: B. Steinfurth et al.; see also here)
#2025gofm #flowVisualization #fluidDynamics #fluidsAsArt #physics #science #turbulence -
“Sidewall Symphony”
Flow visualization is both an art and science in fluid dynamics. Here, researchers were interested in studying the separation bubble that forms over a backward-facing ramp–a shape that shows up, for example, on an aircraft. In these areas, the flow over the surface separates, leaving an unsteady, recirculating bubble.
That’s the flow that researchers are visualizing here. They’ve done so by adding tiny helium-filled soap bubbles to the flow. With bright lights illuminating the bubbles, each one leaves a streak in a photograph, showing where the bubble moved during the time the camera’s shutter was open. Although images like these are beautiful, they can also be analyzed by computers to extract the underlying flow that created the image. (Image and research credit: B. Steinfurth et al.; see also here)
#2025gofm #flowVisualization #fluidDynamics #fluidsAsArt #physics #science #turbulence -
@vale Still, I was surprised just `filter: url(#turbulence)` on the parent element would have that much impact.
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@vale Still, I was surprised just `filter: url(#turbulence)` on the parent element would have that much impact.
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Movie TV Tech Geeks #MovieNews #RayLiotta #Turbulence #Action 'Die Hard' Meets 'Air Force One' in the 1997 Action Thriller Dominating Streaming http://dlvr.it/TS04Sb
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Movie TV Tech Geeks #MovieNews #RayLiotta #Turbulence #Action 'Die Hard' Meets 'Air Force One' in the 1997 Action Thriller Dominating Streaming http://dlvr.it/TS04Sb
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AI can now forecast turbulent flows from just a few observations, capturing tiny swirls and complex patterns in 3D. Fast predictions, low computing cost, near-real-time insights!
🔗
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-026-70145-4#Turbulence #FluidDynamics #MachineLearning #FlowReconstruction #Physics
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A new perspective on pipe flow instability: not small perturbations, but energy thresholds for vortex formation may trigger turbulence in Hagen–Poiseuille flow.
#FluidDynamics #FlowInstability #Turbulence #BoundaryLayer #Physics
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A new perspective on pipe flow instability: not small perturbations, but energy thresholds for vortex formation may trigger turbulence in Hagen–Poiseuille flow.
#FluidDynamics #FlowInstability #Turbulence #BoundaryLayer #Physics
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The post "Colah Colah “Dub Cosmic” (Klangschatz Productions)" has just been published at https://www.irieites.de/?p=40059 #ColahColah #NaturalBlack #Turbulence
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@admin We see #turbulence, we upvote! 👍
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@admin We see #turbulence, we upvote! 👍
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In todays lecture on turbulent transport of cosmic rays: one of the very few "experiments" I can show to astronomers, i.e. the developing of #turbulence within this nice rotating disc, containing a rheoscopic fluid https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rheoscopic_fluid
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Turbulence and Bioluminescence
If you’ve ever seen crashing waves glowing blue, you’ve been treated to bioluminescence. Although many creatures can bioluminesce, tiny dinoflagellates–a type of marine phytoplankton–are one of the easiest to spot. These microscopic organisms create a flash of light in response to viscous stresses. Their response to flow-induced stresses is so robust that they can be used to visualize stress fields.
In a new study, researchers explored how turbulence affects the dinoflagellate’s luminescence. They mathematically modeled the dinoflagellate as an elastic dumbbell that emitted light based on its extent and rate of deformation. Then they explored how this model dinoflagellate behaved in different types of turbulent flows. They found that the fluctuations and intermittency of turbulent flows both encouraged the radiant displays. (Image credit: T. McKinnon; research credit: P. Kumar and J. Picardo)
#biology #bioluminescence #flowVisualization #fluidDynamics #physics #phytoplankton #science #turbulence -
“The Haboob”
Haboobs are a dust storm driven by the strong winds at the forefront of weather fronts and thunderstorms. Those powerful winds pick up dust in arid and semi-arid landscapes, creating billowing, turbulent clouds that appear downright apocalyptic.
This particular haboob formed in Arizona in August 2025 and was caught in timelapse by photographer and storm chaser Mike Olbinski. The visuals–as always–are incredible. Definitely watch to the very end, as the haboob advances on the runway at Sky Harbor Airport. The tension is palpable as you watch flights line up and try to make it off the ground before the haboob swallows them. (Video and image credit: M. Olbinski)
#fluidDynamics #fluidsAsArt #haboob #meteorology #physics #science #timelapse #turbulence -
BOJ seen waiting till April for rate hike amid Iran war turbulence
Bank of Japan High oil prices may hit Japan’s economy, spur inflation as bank tries to normalize policy…
#NewsBeep #News #Economy #april #AU #Australia #BOJ #Business #hike #Iran #rate #seen #turbulence #waiting #war
https://www.newsbeep.com/au/540281/ -
Improving Turbulence Models
Calculating turbulent flows like those found in the ocean and atmosphere is extremely expensive computationally. That’s why forecasting models use techniques like Large Eddy Simulation (LES), where large physical scales are calculated according to the governing physical equations while smaller scales are approximated with mathematical models. Researchers are always looking for ways to improve these models–making them more physically accurate, easier to compute, and more computationally stable.
In a new study, researchers used an equation-discovery tool to find new improvements to these models for the smaller turbulent scales. They started by doing a full, computationally expensive calculation of the turbulent flow. The equation-discovery tool then analyzed these results, looking to match them to a library of over 900 possible equations. When it found a form that fit the data, the researchers were then able to show analytically how to derive that equation from the underlying physics. The result is a new equation that models these smaller scales in a way that’s physically accurate and computationally stable, offering possibilities for better LES. (Image credit: CasSa Paintings; research credit: K. Jakhar et al.; via APS)
#CFD #computationalFluidDynamics #fluidDynamics #geophysics #largeEddySimulation #machineLearning #mathematics #numericalSimulation #physics #science #turbulence -
Transport and settling of suspended particles in a simulated estuary: particle-laden freshwater enters a basin filled with seawater. The white iso-surface indicates 50% of the original particle density. Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities evolve in the shear flow and drive the turbulent mixing. Rayleigh–Taylor instabilities can be observed in the initial settling phase. Based on Direct #Numerical #Simulation.
#sedimentation #estuary #fluiddynamics #turbulence #CFD #computationalfluiddynamics
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🌪️✈️ Oh no, climate change is making the skies all wibbly-wobbly and now our planes might not be able to handle it! Guess we'll all just have to fasten our seatbelts, pop some Dramamine, and hope for the best. Who knew #flying could get even more thrilling? 😅
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/03/09/buckle-up-for-bumpier-skies #climatechange #aviation #turbulence #safety #travel #HackerNews #ngated -
Another one from the archive: turbulent mixing of sediment-laden freshwater and seawater (black). The white iso-surface indicates a 50/50 mix. The freshwater enters the basin at the bottom left. Direct #Numerical #Simulation.
#sedimentation #estuary #fluiddynamics #turbulence #CFD #computationalfluiddynamics
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“In the wind of the mind arises the turbulence called I. It breaks; down shower the barren thoughts. All life is choked. This desert is the Abyss wherein the Universe.” https://library.hrmtc.com/2026/02/19/in-the-wind-of-the-mind-arises-the-turbulence-called-i-it-breaks-down-shower-the-barren-thoughts-all-life-is-choked-this-desert-is-the-abyss-wherein-the-universe/ #abyss #aleisterCrowley #all #arises #barren #book #book333 #breaks #choked #desert #down #I #liberCCCXXXIII #life #mind #quote #shower #TheBookOfLies #thoughts #turbulence #universe #wind
