Floating in Sync

Objects on a vibrating liquid bath can interact with each other through the waves they make as they bounce. Here, researchers look at three-armed spinners interacting in pairs and in larger groups.  (Video and image credit: J. Barotta et al.; via GoSM) Read the full article

Swarm of Surfers

Self-propelled objects can form fascinating patterns. Here, researchers investigate how small plastic "surfers" move on a vibrating fluid.  (Image and research credit: I. Ho et al.; via APS Physics) Read the full article

Droplet Medusa

Vibration is one method for breaking a drop into smaller droplets, a process known as atomization. Here, researchers simulate this break-up process for a drop in microgravity. (Image and research credit: D. Panda et al.) Read the full article

Surf's Up!

Inspired by honeybees and their ability to surf on capillary waves of their own making, researchers have developed SurferBot, a low-cost, untethered, vibration-driven surf robot. (Image and submission credit: D. Harris; research credit: E. Rhee et al.) Read the full article

Shattering With Resonance

Resonance is a phenomenon that is both familiar and somewhat mysterious. It takes place when a system is excited near its natural frequency. In this case, we're seeing a mechanical resonance that's driven by sound waves near the glass's natural frequency.  (Image and video credit: The Slow Mo Guys) Read the full article

Adhering Through Vibration

This little robot relies on vibration to generate its adhesion. By vibrating its flexible disk, it generates low pressure in the thin air layer between the disk and the surface.  (Image, video, and research credit: W. Weston-Dawkes et al.; via IEEE Spectrum; submitted by Kam-Yung Soh) Read the full article

On a hot surface, droplets can float on a layer of their own vapor and vibrate in star-like shapes. These so-called Leidenfrost stars also make noise, with distinct beats that match the oscillations of the vapor layer beneath them. (Image and research credit: T. Singla and M. Rivera; via APS Physics)  

Ultrasonic Vibrations

Ultrafast vibrations can break up droplets, mix fluids, and even tear voids in a liquid. Here, the Slow Mo Guys demonstrate each of these using an ultrasonic homogenizer, a piece of lab equipment capable of vibrating 30,000 times a second.  (Image and video credit: The Slow Mo Guys) Read the full article

Hedgehogs Atop Waves

Since Michael Faraday, scientists have watched the curious patterns that form in a vibrating liquid. By adding floating particles to such a system, researchers have discovered spiky, hedgehog-like shapes that form near the surface. (Image and research credit: H. Alarcón et al.; via APS Physics) Read the full article

Freezing Waves

Vibrate a liquid, and you'll get a pattern of standing waves known as Faraday waves. In this project, artist Linden Gledhill adds a twist to the usual view of these waves by capturing them in plastic. (Image, video, and submission credit: L. Gledhill) Read the full article

Floating in Levitating Liquids

When it comes to stability, nature can be amazingly counter-intuitive, as in this case of flotation on the underside of a levitating liquid. First things first: how is this liquid layer levitating? (Image and research credit: B. Apffel et al.; via NYTimes; submitted by multiple sources) Read the full article