MIT researchers have found an elegant solution to a sticky scientific problem in basic fluid mechanics: Why water doesn't soak into soil at an even rate, but instead forms what looks like fingers of fluid flowing downward. Scientists call these rivulets "gravity fingers," and the explanation for their formation has to do with the surface tension where the water - or any liquid - meets the soil. Knowing how to account for this phenomenon mathematically will have wide-ranging impact. (source: web.mit.edu)
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