Fuck Yeah Fluid Dynamics

Ryan Teague’s “Cascades” music video features the enchanting process of ice growth. A chamber full of supercooled water vapor subject to a strong electric field is stimulated to grow crystals by providing a needle as the initial nucleation site. Because the vapor is supercooled, it will freeze upon contact with the nucleation site; the electric field keeps the water molecules aligned so that the crystal patterns formed are more even.  The tree-like pattern seen here is called dendritic crystal growth; branches form at faults in the crystalline pattern. (Video credit: Ryan Teague, Village Green, Words are Pictures; via Gizmodo)