Mathematicians Show Why Bubbles Sink in Nitrogen-Infused Stouts 55
SicariusMan writes "The age old question: do Guinness and other stouts' bubbles really sink, or is it an optical illusion? Well, some mathematicians have figured it out."
Full paper via arXiv; From the article: "To analyze the effect of different glass shapes, the mathematicians modeled Guinness beer containing randomly distributed bubbles in both a pint glass and an anti-pint glass (i.e., an upside-down pint). An elongated swirling vortex forms in both glasses, but in the anti-pint glass the vortex rotates in the opposite direction, causing an upward flow of fluid and bubbles near the wall of the glass."
Re: (Score:1)
It'll grow your dingus, massage your warbles and drink your sploodge!
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1, Insightful)
Violate THIS!
C'mon, Slashdot, is it that hard to outright block messages that contain specific URLs?
Re: (Score:2)
"I'll have you know the Supreme Court has roundly rejected prior restraint."
Unless Slashdot is now the US government, that decision doesn't apply.
Now that I know the theory (Score:5, Funny)
late to the party (Score:5, Informative)
The Australians figured it out 12 years ago
http://science.slashdot.org/story/00/01/11/2156213/why-bubbles-in-guinness-fall
And no wonder (Score:1)
Australians do not like any confusion or doubt when it comes to beer. Mind you, apparently they initially thought it happened because Guiness comes from the North.
Re:late to the party (Score:5, Funny)
Yeah, but the new research had to make sure it wasn't the Coriolis force!
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Link (in there) doesn't work anymore, and I can't find it.
Re: (Score:2)
The Australians figured it out 12 years ago
http://science.slashdot.org/story/00/01/11/2156213/why-bubbles-in-guinness-fall
Yes but the math starts getting real dense midway in just about the time the author starts using 'yourmothersawhore' as a delta function. The last few pages seem to be completely unrelated work on chaos theory but I'm not sure that was intentional.
Re: (Score:3, Funny)
Re: (Score:3)
American fluid dynamicists did it first! (Score:5, Informative)
Twelve years ago an almost identical paper was on the office wall of a chemical engineering professor I had in college. I'm mostly kidding with my subject line - I expect there's novelty in the new paper and just want to point out that this has been used as a model system (probably many times) before now.
party pooper (Score:5, Funny)
That's an astout observation!
Hence, no stout for you, mister. ;)
Re:party pooper (Score:4, Funny)
You sound bitter.
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Twelve years ago an almost identical paper was on the office wall of a chemical engineering professor I had in college. I'm mostly kidding with my subject line - I expect there's novelty in the new paper and just want to point out that this has been used as a model system (probably many times) before now.
I believe you are referring to Md Nurul Hasan Khan. In 1999 he published a paper proving Guinness bubbles fall. As far as I know he was the first.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/03/19/1079199418340.html [smh.com.au]
Is it replicatable? (Score:3, Funny)
I believe this study will end up receiving more than its fair share of replication and confirmation studies.
In fact, I can see several follow-up studies on if (and possibly why) this is specific to stout. How about a nice lager "control group" for the lads at table 3?
Re:Is it replicatable? (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Is it replicatable? (Score:4, Informative)
Boddington's pub ale uses nitrogen, and it exhibits the same behaviour as Guinness.. it's interesting to see the effect in a clear fluid
Re: (Score:2)
the category of ale encompasses many beers, including stouts like Guinness.
It does not, however, encompass lager, which if Budweiser is representative, is a category of beer whose terrible flavor is only mitigated by its incredible weakness.
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
An ale is still not always a stout. If a stout is basically an ale made with roasted malt, the question could be it's something to do with the malt and not the yeast.
Bud is disgustingly weak as far as flavor, but higher alcohol content than I thought. (5%abv) I always thought it was around 3 or 4. I'll stick with my 8 - 12% IPA's
Re: (Score:2)
Next study: helium-3 infused stouts vs. non-helium-3 infused stouts.
Mythbusters (Score:5, Interesting)
Mythbusters (accidentally) did it first.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4YeP7e0tPE&t=190 [youtube.com]
I thought... (Score:3)
DO NOT (Score:5, Funny)
...I repeat DO NOT touch a pint glass and an anti-pint glass during a toast.
That is all.
Re: (Score:3)
They'll annihilate each other, leaving you with nothing but a piece of bread.
Re:DO NOT (Score:4, Funny)
Re: (Score:2)
Do not touch pint glass with anti-pint glass in remaining space/time...
Re: (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Bubbles got feet!
Location, location, location (Score:2, Funny)
Guiness is brewed in Ireland. The bubbles are made in Australia. When the can is opened the bubbles attempt to to up, but they are from Australia so they head the wrong way. Another pint of your finest, barkeep!
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:1)
Qantas entanglement.
Math (Score:2)
Their answer is "because the math says so"?
Re:Math (Score:4, Funny)
Negative ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall. (Score:5, Funny)
in the anti-pint glass the vortex rotates in the opposite direction, causing an upward flow of fluid and bubbles near the wall of the glass
Just don't drink too many anti-pints of beer. I tried it once and woke up with a hell of a hangunder.
Re: (Score:2)
in the anti-pint glass the vortex rotates in the opposite direction, causing an upward flow of fluid and bubbles near the wall of the glass
Just don't drink too many anti-pints of beer. I tried it once and woke up with a hell of a hangunder.
Hangin out on the Disc [lspace.org] again? Bugarup. Millenium hand and shrimp, I says! :)
This could put Ireland back into recession (Score:1)
Re: (Score:1)