When solids flow like liquids they can make sand dunes sing, and they can also result in a potentially deadly avalanche. Cambridge researchers are studying the physics behind both of these phenomena, which could have applications in industries such as pharmaceuticals, oil and gas.
As the death toll continues to rise in Nepal, Senior Lecturer Dr Ian Willis, and PhD student Evan Miles, from the Scott Polar Research Institute contemplate the fate of people in a remote part of the country, where they have been doing research for the past two years.
The dynamics of an avalanche and the origins of the Universe will be the subjects of two presentations to the public by Cambridge researchers as part of this year’s Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition.
Each year more than a million avalanches fall worldwide, killing around a hundred people in the Alps alone. Can mathematical models be used to predict and prevent these disasters?
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