And now it’s time for 3+ minutes of jazz and tiny hailstones. From Aatish Bhatia at Empirical Zeal, “The Universal laws behind growth patterns, or what Tetris can teach us about coffee stains.”

As I watched this miniature world self-assemble on my windshield like an alien landscape, I wondered about the physics behind these patterns. I learned later that these patterns of ice are related to a rich and very active current area of research in math and physics known as universality. The key mathematical principles that belie these intricate patterns lead us to some unexpected places…

Observe this quiet, growing collection of ice particles on its own, or read on for a much deeper discussion of universality that includes diagrams, videos, and animated gifs.

Related quiet particle observation: Dust particles dance to a Radiohead cover. 

A pretty spectacular science experiment: how to make an Incredible Egg Geode. 

Your egg geode is formed through a process called sedimentation. The heated alum solution contains suspended particles of alum powder and as the solution cools, these particles of alum begin settling. When the alum particles settle towards the bottom of the beaker or glass, they begin crystallizing. With the alum-covered egg at the bottom, the alum particles from the solution begin attaching themselves to the egg. Covering your egg in alum powder beforehand gives the suspended alum particles a surface to which they can more readily attach themselves. The particles that settle onto the surface of the egg crystallize, and you will also see crystallization on the bottom and sides of the beaker or glass.

A clip of Gene Kelly from Singin’ in the Rain. Classics 101.

Watch this BBC clip of fish and frogs living out of water, featuring the lung fish, a burrowing desert frog, and the thorny devil lizard.

According to the research, “a wet animal could spend 20% or more of it’s daily food energy to evaporate water in its fur, if it cannot shake.” Therefore, it’s super important to get dry! Earth Unplugged’s Sam and Simon slow down this phenomenon of mammals shaking to get dry — super slow-mo style — in this sixth episode by BBC Earth Productions.

via Laughing Squid.