麻豆传媒

Tom Gauld on grammatical voices for use in scientific writing

Tom Gauld's weekly cartoon

Twisteddoodles on houseplants versus zombies

Liquid Gold Anna Curran Department of Mathematics A lattice of bubbles inside a ring that has been dipped in soapy water. The bubbles hold their shape because of molecules in the dish soap called surfactants, which stabilise the interface. Surfactants are all around us - for example, they allow soap to break down dirt and bacteria, and they are given to premature babies to help them inflate their lungs. Conversely, they threaten the efficacy of various industrial applications such as self-cleaning surfaces and laptop cooling systems. My research focuses on mathematically modelling the effect of these molecules at a f luid interface, in order to gain a greater understanding of how to control their behaviour in these applications.

Physics

Photography contest spotlights the beauty of science in vivid detail

Orchids in the garden. Blooming orchids in a winter diy glass garden

Life

Should you water your orchid with ice cubes?

Battle cruiser approaching light speed in an outer space wormhole, 3d digitally rendered illustration; Shutterstock ID 91289105; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

How long would it take to accelerate to 99 per cent light speed?

an australopithecus, one of our ancestors; Shutterstock ID 790742188; purchase_order: -; job: -; client: -; other: -

Is it known when humans or our ancestors first started to sing?

Lola the Cat, behind a window, London

This week鈥檚 new questions

Comment

Is there such a thing as a ‘vegetative electron microscope’? Doubtful

Twisteddoodles has cracked it!

Tom Gauld on the science of Easter

Tom Gauld's weekly cartoon

Life

Images capture the timeless beauty of America’s ancient forests

Mathematics

This versatile piece of maths can help you solve all kinds of problems

Why do many animals have white undersides?

Why do plastic clothes pegs fade and get brittle in the sun?