Today in Science Blog Posts
Why Do Pigeons Have Iridescent Feathers?
If you look at a pigeon a certain way, the feathers around their necks shine in bright hues of emerald and amethyst. As it turns out, a prehistoric animal exhibited a similar trait…
Happy Birthday, Joseph Fourier
From heat conduction and the Fourier series to the greenhouse effect and Fourier transform, Joseph Fourier’s research has many implications in the modern world.
Happy Birthday, Claude-Louis Navier
When you hear the name Navier, you probably think of fluid flow or the Navier–Stokes equations. But did you know that Claude-Louis Navier worked as a bridge designer and civil engineer?
Happy Birthday, Friedrich Paschen
Friedrich Paschen dedicated his life to experimentation. Today, we use Paschen’s law to understand how electric current flows through gas.
2020 Isaac Newton Medal and Prize Awarded to Nader Engheta
Get an overview of the Isaac Newton Medal and Prize — and the optical physicist who won this year.
5 W’s for 200 Years of Electromagnetism
Fun fact: Hans Christian Ørsted originally studied pharmacology and philosophy before he went on to discover the connection between electricity and magnetism.
Modeling Droplet Flow in an Open Space with COMSOL Multiphysics®
If you are jogging six feet apart from someone else, should you both be wearing masks? Simulation was used to analyze the motion of particles between two runners in an open space to find answers.
Happy Birthday, Marie Van Brittan Brown
Today, home security is a billion dollar industry that relies on smart devices. However, it all started with a nurse who wanted to feel safer in her home in Queens, New York.
Happy Birthday, Henry Cavendish
Did you know that the element hydrogen was originally called “inflammable air” upon its discovery by Henry Cavendish because of how easily it burns? Learn more about the chemist and physicist…
How Does This Lip Gloss Appear to Defy Gravity?
We attempt to explain a mysterious, gravity-defying phenomenon involving a viral video, dielectric materials, electrostatics, and lip gloss.
Optimizing an NIV Mask Design with Multiphysics Simulation
NIV masks offer a form of noninvasive monitoring and ventilation for COVID-19 patients, which lessens the need for ventilators and other mechanical respirators.
Happy Birthday, Arne Tiselius
The “Tiselius Apparatus” could help determine the isoelectric point, molecular weight, and physical properties of proteins. Learn about the “Father of Electrophoresis” and his accomplishments.
A Tour of the Famous Scientists Laid to Rest in Göttingen City Cemetery
Take a tour through the history of science at the historic Stadtfriedhof city cemetery in Göttingen, Germany, to learn about some of the greatest scientific heroes of the twentieth century.
Happy Birthday, Alice Ball
Alice Ball studied the chemical makeup of chaulmoogra oil to develop a treatment for leprosy. She is also the first African American, and first woman, to graduate from the University of Hawaii.
3 Important Animals of Science from Throughout History
What do a bunny, mouse, and part-Samoyed terrier have in common? We discuss these 3 noteworthy yet unlikely characters from the history of scientific research…
Why Is My Coffee Maker Smiling at Me? Pareidolia Examined
A coffee maker smiles at you. A mop looks grumpy. The side of a building looks surprised. The phenomenon of seeing faces in inanimate objects, pareidolia, is more common than you might think…
Happy Birthday, Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin
In 1925, Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin made a revolutionary discovery about hydrogen that unfortunately wasn’t believed at the time. This didn’t stop her from breaking new ground in astronomy.
Who Discovered the Integrated Circuit?
Like many of the world’s greatest innovations, credit for developing the integrated circuit is shared by many names, including Geoffrey Dummer, Jack Kilby, and Robert Noyce.
Modeling the Spread of COVID-19 with COMSOL Multiphysics®
From susceptible to exposed and infected to recovered: See how numerical modeling can help us understand the dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic and how it spreads.
Happy Birthday, Olga Ladyzhenskaya
Olga Ladyzhenskaya wasn’t one to shy away from a challenge. In fact, through her research, she proved the convergence of a finite difference method for the Navier–Stokes equations.
Happy Birthday, Edith Clarke
Once hired as a “human computer”, electrical engineer Edith Clarke is known for inventing the Clarke Calculator, which solves capacity and inductance calculations for long transmission lines.
Happy Birthday, Joseph-Louis Lagrange
Calculus of variations, Lagrange multipliers, deforming geometries, and Lagrange polynomials — These are just a few of Joseph-Louis Lagrange’s many contributions to the world of mathematics.
Happy Birthday, Sofia Kovalevskaya
Aside from her contributions to analysis, differential equations, and mechanics, Russian mathematician Sofia Kovalevskaya was also an accomplished playwright and novelist.
Happy Birthday, Andrew Fielding Huxley
As a child, Andrew Fielding Huxley was given a lathe as a gift. This sparked an interest in science and invention that blossomed into a career in research and physiology.