Lichtman, Flora. “The Science of Bubbles.” Popular Science June 2014: 31. Print.
In Flora Lichtman’s piece, she introduces four categories in which bubbles make surprisingly significant contributions. Hunting, weaponry, computing and climate all seem to be fields where bubbles are valued as more than just entertainment. Notably, she mentions a technique used by Russian engineers called supercavitation, in which a vapor bubble surrounds a torpedo to allow for less water friction and maximum speed. In the climate category, bubbles stand out as essential managers of gas exchange within oceans.
Bubbles are being studied in earnest by scholars like James Bird of Boston University. It’s interesting to watch as something dismissed to the realm of children’s toys is now being scrutinized for its potential to be much more than that. Now that they are being pursued, I wonder how much bubbles will factor into inventions and scientific evidence to come in our future.
