Nearly 2,500 scientists and engineers will present new research on the physics of fluids at the 74th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics.
Held November 21 - 23, 2021, in Phoenix, Arizona, with a virtual component, the meeting includes talks on COVID-proofing daily life, kimchi physics, extreme heat waves, next-gen dishwashers, jellyfish engineers, and firefighting trees. Sessions cover liquid, plastic, and gaseous states of matter under varying conditions of temperature and pressure.
The 40th Annual Gallery of Fluid Motion will be held as part of the meeting, illustrating the science—and very often also the beauty—of fluid motion. The Gallery offers a series of high-resolution videos and posters that can be watched or viewed online. Award-winning entries will be announced on Monday, November 22.
Members of the media and student journalists are invited to explore more than 250 sessions, invited and award talks, and minisymposia. Five live press briefings (see right) will be held virtually. Please consult the scientific program for the most up-to-date schedule. Browse a selection of newsworthy abstracts below:
Please note all sessions are in Mountain Standard Time (MST) (GMT-7).
Complimentary registration is available to those with APS press credentials on the general meeting registration page. Request press credentials through this form.
How to COVID-Proof the Grocery Line, Classroom, and Orchestra
We’re living with COVID-19 now. Scientists are finding new ways to stay safe indoors even after the pandemic ends. Read more and view times | Register for Live Press Briefing
New Ways for Dynamical Prediction of Extreme Heat Waves
Deep neural network provides an unprecedented forecasting tool up to two weeks before the onset of an extreme heat event. Read more and view times | Register for Live Press Briefing
The Future of Face Masks
Next-gen masks will be virus-killing, eco-friendly, and reusable. And even the KN95 you’re wearing now may be able to get wet. Read more and view times | Register for Live Press Briefing
Superfish
Researchers uncover the optimization secrets of fish schools, with lessons for improving radar and underwater robots. Read more and view times
Listen to Your Tempura!
Deep frying sounds reveal oil temperature and the path to a perfect snack. Read more and view times
Turning the Sticky to Slippery
A patent-pending multifunctional coating delays surface frost formation for long periods—outperforming commercial products by up to ten times. It could help prevent freezing-failure of airplane wings or biofilm formation on medical devices that cause disease. Read more and view times | Register for Live Press Briefing
Porous Artificial Rock Helps Channel an Answer to a 54-Year-Old Mystery
Why certain fluids strangely slow down under pressure when flowing through porous materials. Read more and view times
Your Heart 2.0
The new science of heart health uses AI and algorithms to prevent heart attacks, strokes, and stress. Read more and view times
Catching the Fog As It Rolls In
Beetles and face masks inspire fog filters that could tackle global freshwater shortages. Read more and view times
First Direct Measurement of the Overall Impact of Ocean Eddy Killing
New method could turn the tide for studies of ocean currents. Read more and view times
9:18 a.m. MST
Jellyfish Engineers
An average population of Cassiopea jellyfish can mix an entire ocean water column in 15 minutes, moving some hundreds of liters per hour per animal. New data builds on a recent study revealing the jellyfish as ecosystem engineers who also release trapped nutrients in their mangrove habitats. Abstract | PNAS Paper
Contact: Bradford Gemmell, University of South Florida
Image Credit: David Durieux
2:45 p.m. MST
Kimchi Physics
For the first time, researchers filmed gassy bacteria fermenting cabbage in Onggi (traditional Korean porous earthenware pots). They find that the pots limit bacterial numbers, acting as a safety valve to prevent over-fermentation of the kimchi. Abstract
Contact: Soohwan Kim, Georgia Institute of Technology
Image Credit: © 2014, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Korean Culture
3:24 p.m. MST
Sand Bubbles
“Bubblators” form within sand and stay pinned in a bubble shape. Similar to how desert dunes weather down, the edges of the bubbles oscillate in a surprising way. Abstract
Contact: Andras Karsai, Georgia Institute of Technology
Image Credit: Andras Karsai / Daniel I. Goldman / Complex Rheology and Biomechanics Lab, Georgia Institute of Technology
5:25 p.m. MST
Surfing Birds
Researchers put European starlings in a wind tunnel with turbulences simulating the wake of another bird to see how the starlings interact with them. The study could help explain the benefits of flocking. Abstract
Contact: Sonja I. Friman, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
6:04 p.m. MST
Insects Resist the Rain
Water striders sometimes spend their entire lives at sea, never touching the ground. When bombarded by raindrops many times their weight, the bugs plunge underwater or shoot into the air—but quickly regain their footing. Video footage of this rainy resilience bodes well for future robots. Abstract | Florida Poly Press Release
Contact: Daren A. Watson, Florida Polytechnic University
Image Credit: Fluids and STructures (FAST) Laboratory
8:00 a.m. MST
Fungi Measure the Wind
Experiments in a wind tunnel reveal that Neurospora fungi act as speedometers. They carefully grow their spore-distributing parts to the ideal height based on how fast the wind is blowing. Abstract
Contact: Marcus Roper, University of California, Los Angeles
Image Credit: Patrick Hickey / UCLA
8:39 a.m. MST
The Landslide Brought a Tsunami
In September, a destructive volcanic eruption in the Canary Islands raised fears that landslides could trigger a tsunami. A new model introduces a crucial step to predicting landslide-generated tsunamis: showing how initial water and collapse conditions create different kinds of waves. Abstract | Journal of Fluid Mechanics Paper
Contact / Image Credit: Wladimir Sarlin, CNRS / Université Paris-Saclay
9:05 a.m. MST
Next-Gen Dishwashers
Superheated steam reduces the water and energy dishwashers use. The germ-killing method could improve practices in hospitals and restaurants. Abstract | TU Dortmund Press Release
Contact: Natalie Germann, Technical University of Dortmund
Image Credit: Germann and Abu-Farah, 2021
2:02 p.m. MST
Hearts and Bubbles Under Pressure
The first successful attempt to reconstruct pressure in an area with voids (some heart-shaped) corrects for experimental errors. The new tool could help reveal how bubbles form, grow, and collapse. Abstract | Physics of Fluids Paper
Contact: Xiaofeng Liu, San Diego State University
Image Credit: Liu and Moreto, Physics of Fluids 33, 101703 (2021)
6:15 p.m. MST
Firefighting Trees
A deep learning model uses drone footage of swaying trees to measure wind speed. It could potentially offer firefighters real-time wind maps to combat large wildfires. Abstract | Register for Live Press Briefing
Contact: Roni Goldshmid, Caltech
Image Credit: Roni Goldshmid / Dabiri Lab
8:26 a.m. MST
Keeping Refugees Safe From COVID
COVID-19 outbreaks will likely continue in refugee camps for some time. Airflow simulations of a camp healthcare shelter suggest opening windows in the shelter walls and sides perpendicular to the wind direction, as well as placing infected patients near the downwind side, so viral particles leave the shelter instead of circulating through. Abstract
Contact: John Hochschild, Stanford University
Image Credit: Stanford University
8:26 a.m. MST
A Supersized Spiral Swimmer
Biomedical devices seek to mimic the helical swimming of tiny bacteria. Now scientists have discovered the secrets of a giant helical swimmer: salps, marine animals that are born into long chains and can travel many meters in a corkscrew pattern. Abstract
Contact: Kelly R. Sutherland, University of Oregon
Image Credit: Victoria Scriven
1:32 p.m. MST
Slow-Motion Banana Gun
A high-speed nozzle (simulated in super slow motion) uses steam to spew banana puree in a droplet spray. Abstract
Contact / Image Credit: Daniel Wilson, Liberty University
Live virtual press briefings for the 74th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics will be held online. Researchers will take questions from journalists.
Please register at the links below for the press briefing you would like to attend.
Once your registration has been approved, you will receive details on how to connect. For those unable to attend, recordings of the briefings will be made available upon request.
New Ways for Dynamical Prediction of Extreme Heat Waves
Monday, November 22, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. MST
Register for the press briefing
How to COVID-Proof the Grocery Line, Classroom, and Orchestra
Monday, November 22, 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. MST
Register for the press briefing
Turning the Sticky to Slippery
Monday, November 22, 4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. MST
Register for the press briefing
Firefighting Trees
Tuesday, November 23, 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. MST
Register for the press briefing
The Future of Face Masks
Tuesday, November 23, 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. MST
Register for the press briefing