How well do wet masks contain droplets?
Researchers modeled what happens to respiratory droplets when they come in contact with wet masks. Their results show that damp masks are still effective at stopping these droplets from escaping the mask and being atomized into smaller, easier-to-spr.....»»
New single-cell analysis tech incorporates advanced fiber optics directly into microfluidic chips
Droplet microfluidics has revolutionized single-cell analysis, crucial for genomics, drug discovery, and diagnostics, by partitioning samples into nanoliter droplets for detailed cellular analysis. Yet, its broader adoption is hindered by the complex.....»»
Breaking the ice: Molecular insights into saltwater droplet freezing
In a new study, researchers have observed the freezing of saltwater droplets at a molecular level, offering new insights for de-icing and anti-icing technologies. Contrary to conventional wisdom, these droplets don't conform to the typical freezing p.....»»
Study demonstrates spontaneous self-organization of microdroplets through quasi one-dimensional confinement
Polymer systems composed of multiple components can spontaneously induce emulsion or microdroplets by mechanical mixing, as an intermediate state of macroscopic phase separation. Unfortunately, the size of generated droplets is nonuniform and their s.....»»
Study: Cicadas pee in jets, not droplets. Here’s why that’s kinda weird.
Come for the cicada video, stay for the scaling graphic of urination across animal kingdom. Cicadas' unique urination unlocks new understanding of fluid dynamics. Credit: Georgia Tech (Saad Bhamla/Elio Challita). Cicadas might be a.....»»
Optically trapped quantum droplets of light can bind together to form macroscopic complexes
Condensed matter systems and photonic technologies are regularly used by researchers to create microscale platforms that can simulate the complex dynamics of many interacting quantum particles in a more accessible setting. Some examples include ultra.....»»
Dancing droplets" new spin on water harvesting
A more efficient way to capture fresh water from the air could be inspired by a phenomenon of motion first glimpsed in bowls of breakfast cereal......»»
Helium droplets capture double water structure
An elusive structure involving two water molecules, which had been predicted but never observed, has been isolated by RIKEN chemists. This finding could have implications for a wide range of fields ranging from astrochemistry to corrosion of metals......»»
Pore power: High-speed droplet production in microfluidic devices
Over the past two decades, microfluidic devices, which use technology to produce micrometer-sized droplets, have become crucial to various applications. These span chemical reactions, biomolecular analysis, soft-matter chemistry, and the production o.....»»
Scientists develop high-precision droplet printing platform for single cell phenotype screening
With the rapid development of genome synthesis and editing technologies, droplet-based single-cell phenotype screening has become increasingly important. However, precise and high-throughput distribution of target droplets into specific macroscopic m.....»»
Bioinspired hydrogel pattern enhances atmospheric water harvesting via directional droplet steering
The water in the air originates from both natural and forced evaporation, with condensation being the final and crucial step in water harvesting. Condensation involves nucleation, growth, and shedding of water droplets, which are then collected......»»
Team expands research of water droplet interfaces that offer the secret ingredient for building life
R. Graham Cooks, the Henry B. Hass Distinguished Professor of Chemistry, and his postdoctoral researcher Lingqi Qiu have experimental evidence that the key step in protein formation can occur in droplets of pure water, and have recently published the.....»»
How winter storms stress San Luis Obispo County elephant seals in the midst of birthing season
The late December morning rain left droplets on Christine Heinrichs' glasses as she stood among a throng of tourists and watched dozens of elephant seals tussle and sleep on a beach just south of the Piedras Blancas Light Station......»»
Mysterious missing component in the clouds of Venus revealed
What are the clouds of Venus made of? Scientists know it's mainly made of sulfuric acid droplets, with some water, chlorine, and iron. Their concentrations vary with height in the thick and hostile Venusian atmosphere. But until now they have been un.....»»
Scientists create tunable shells to encapsulate tiny droplets
Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a novel technique to encapsulate liquid droplets used for various applications, including single crystal growth and cell culture......»»
Researchers observe a hallmark quantum behavior in bouncing droplets
In our everyday classical world, what you see is what you get. A ball is just a ball, and when lobbed through the air, its trajectory is straightforward and clear. But if that ball were shrunk to the size of an atom or smaller, its behavior would shi.....»»
Water and electricity: Charge effects can influence flowing droplets
From precise inkjet printing to clear vision through spectacle lenses—the influence of droplets and their movement shapes numerous areas of our daily lives. While droplets should remain precisely in place on inkjet prints, it is desirable that they.....»»
Novel measurement technique for fluid-mixing phenomena using selective color imaging method
A novel measurement technique has been developed to visualize the fluid flow and distribution within two droplets levitated and coalesced in space using fluorescence-emitting particles. This technique enabled the estimation of fluid motion within eac.....»»
Masks are back, construction banned and schools shut as toxic air engulfs New Delhi
A toxic blanket of grey smog hangs over New Delhi's monuments and high-rises. Schools have been ordered shut and construction banned. People are back to wearing masks......»»
Media failed to highlight the negative impact of single-use facemasks on the environment, says review
A multidisciplinary team from Bangor has shown how media messaging could have determined people's mask-wearing choices during the pandemic. This was based on a qualitative and quantitative review of British and Irish press coverage mentioning masks a.....»»
This 3D-printed plate lets food droplets magically move without being touched
New "computational food" design incorporates electrowetting on dielectric technology. "Dancing Delicacies": Researchers at Monash University created a special plate enhanced with electrodes that moves liquid droplets ar.....»»