A dreamy new exhibition of images showcases the art of physics,
from the beauty of a bubble rising to the flow of water around
coral. The images, part of the American Physical Society's
Division of Fluid Dynamics Gallery of Fluid Motion, are drawn
from the most artistic and evocative research presented at the
Fluid Dynamics annual meeting. The meeting was held from Nov.
18-20 in San Diego. A panel of referees chose the images based
on artistic merit and ability to represent complex physics
topics. Among the honorees is a photograph of a flow of honey
spiraling as it hits the surface of water in a crystal goblet,
representing "liquid rope coiling," a physics phenomenon that
should be familiar to anyone who has ever poured a stream of
honey onto a biscuit. In the water, the coiled flow stretches
and deforms before settling on the bottom of the glass. [ See
the Fluid Dynamics Images ] Another image shows a beautiful
blue-and-white mix of water and an elastic solution made of
polyacrylamide, which is used in the