Stanford researchers solve the mystery of the dancing droplets

Music: "Interlude - In Anxious Shadows" by Kai Engel

[Truthseeker]

I will never forget being a Sophomore in high school, first day of Biology class. My teacher was the only Medical Doctor (M.D.) in the entire school. I was genuinely terrified. He pulls out a petri dish and then sets it on an overhead projector covered by a piece of paper. He then puts something into the dish and it starts moving around. We were all convinced that it was a living organism. It even interacted with other things that he put into the dish. We saw dancing shadows. At the end of the lecture he revealed the moving 'living organisms' to be nothing more than a few drops of the liquid metal Mercury. It was at this exact moment in time that my life was changed forever, and my appreciation for science has grown ever since.

[NedTheDread]

Awesome demonstration, but I was hoping to get more of an explanation of what is actually going on.

[DerekArchibaldSr]

The droplets danced because of a delicate balance between surface tension and evaporation.

[JoshuaHults]

Scientist so often confuse the how with the why. At the very end he said why something happens fascinates him, well doing science does not tell you why, it tells you how. The why is a metaphysical question which is not found in the matter itself. The matter behaves certain rules, IF X THEN Y and we discover these patterns, behaviors, rules but we can't through science tell anyone why rules exist for matter to follow in the 1st place. I wrote a little paper on this if anyone is interested.


PS: This is really cool none the less, very beautiful, whoever designed the rules to this universe most certainly understands beauty.

[cabin]

Amazing! 
Pierre Gilles de Gennes' legacy is living in terms of droplet Physics. Congratulations! 

[jeffsunbury]

Fascinating. Thanks for uploading (and for your research if you're the investigators.)

[reddpill]

Gravity is a push" - WC Wright." ..These differences create a tornado-like flow inside the droplets, which not only allows them to move but also allows a single droplet to sense its neighbors..."

[danking]

I was expecting an actual explanation of this, not just saying that it happens.

[erodphotos]

I was wondering if this would work with larger volumes of liquid. Say perhaps put these large volumes in some kind of container. This container will probably shake due to the liquids moving around. Maybe place it in a container with a generator to produce energy? How long will the liquids keep repelling each other? Just a thought. Great video!

[mrakgi]

Всегда волновал вопрос.. почему если в борше в жирную каплю плавающую по поверхности бросить крошку черного перца - капля провалится и утонет, а если красного перца то капля разодется бубликом.. Эти ребята заморочились и нашли ответ! )) мне бы их задротсво..

[MAYAisWAMBO]

If anyone wants an explanation of why this happens, here's another video!

[VioletaV]

Could this idea be used in treatment of cancer?  To force somehow healthy cells to force back bad ones? I am just wondering...

[beachdancer]

Would RNA survive in this kind of globule?

[socialnginrin]

This is a very random research topic, but it would keep me amused as i pursued the reason XD

[ryanyiu]

i wonder if this color dance has any correlation to chakra colors and their functions?

[PtotheEterson]

I could make a video of my own shit, put piano music in the background and say "it's so fascinating and i didn't believe it, when i first saw it".
Would have the same scientific level.

[Aurodeus]

now im convinced that life could arise from non-living matter

[rhed]

Might be this discovery will help with a question how appear a biological life. Very intersting.

[wolfclck]

agar.io in real life. (Totally didn't steal this joke.)

[markissboi]

i got stop watching these scifi fantasy videos🤓so many rattle on about stuff 90% world is like 😳👀i left the cat in the
dishwasher😼> haa 🐱‍🚀 bye