back to article In current affairs news: Teen boffin with lots of potential crafts electric honeycombs out of oil

A teenager studying electrically charged particles has captured the formation of an ill-understood electric honeycomb structure called the Rose window. The Rose window – named after stained-glass designs in Gothic churches – is interesting to physicists, because how electricity moves through fluids is important for printing, …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I wonder if such research might lead to an explanation for the hexagonal cloud formation at Saturn’s North pole?

    1. whitepines

      That one already has a solid explanation as a hexagonal resonance due to the difference in cloud speeds at differing latitudes. Apparently Saturn's atmosphere has just the right viscosity (or lack thereof) to allow it to happen.

      There's a physics demo floating around also showing the resonance using a spinning bucket and some water. No electric fields needed to explain that one!

  2. Peshman

    What's the discovery?

    As a teenager I observed the formation of crystals in a bath of Copper Sulphate solution by introducing an electrical charge. I investigated the phenomenon, well known by this point, and wrote up a conclusion on why it occurred. Am I missing something in this story?

    I'm ,by no means, a boffin.

    1. Paul Kinsler

      Re: Am I missing something in this story?

      What you are missing is that for more information, you read the research paper (which is freely available online, and linked in the article).

  3. Mystic Megabyte
    Thumb Up

    Mpemba

    I like to quote the Mpemba effect when someone makes the mistake of using logic (or the lack of it) instead of experimentation. I tried to discuss this with a con-trail conspiracy believer but made little progress :(

    So well done Muhammad Shaheer Niazi.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mpemba_effect

    Edit: Mpemba was initially mocked for his observation.

    1. DropBear
      Boffin

      Re: Mpemba

      Yes, and every time I see that mentioned, the part that I immediately get reminded of is this one:

      "In 2016, Burridge and Linden defined the criterion as the time to reach 0 °C (32 °F), carried out experiments and reviewed published work to date.[1] They noted that the large difference originally claimed had not been replicated, and that studies showing a small effect could be influenced by variations in the positioning of thermometers. They say " We conclude, somewhat sadly, that there is no evidence to support meaningful observations of the Mpemba effect"."

    2. Doctor Syntax Silver badge

      Re: Mpemba

      I'd always assumed it was simply due to the unheated water containing more dissolved air and hence having its freezing point slightly lower due to the solute effect.

    3. The Man Who Fell To Earth Silver badge
      FAIL

      Re: Mpemba

      Known more widely as Pathological Science.

  4. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Thumb Up

    Charged electrode reacting to an oil film you say?

    Puts me in mind of an eidiphor projection TV system.

    Identified a phenomenon.

    Identified new features others had not studied

    Developed theory of how it worked.

    Tested theory..

    Let's hope he can keep it up.

  5. The Nazz

    Ohm my god

    more financial layout required.

    Last thing a Scotsman living in Yorkshire needs.

  6. Ken Moorhouse Silver badge

    ...current... ...potential...

    You couldn't resist that could you?

  7. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Coat

    "The boy done good."

    Let us hope he channels it into something positive.

  8. Zmodem

    honeycombs to graphene

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