0-The Buildup
What is Fluid Mechanics, and why should we care? Hint: It is not about equations, and it is not for scientists. It is about the everyday world, and for everyone living in it.
1-Visible Yet Unseen
Why do we always find a Kenyan marathon runner on the winning stage? Also they say a watched pot never boils-I say, try that in the hills. There is a force we can't see, but is present all around us.
2-A Deep Dive
What happens under water? From swim bladders in fish to the perils of diving. The deepest scuba dive ever recorded took 15 minutes during descend, but 13 hours to return. Is pressure a villain or a superhero?
3-The River Within
What is millimeters of mercury, and what does that has to do with our blood pressure? The flow of blood has a timeless advice for us: keep moving, no matter what.
4-Twist in the Skies
Why does air move at all? In one part of the world, winds blow only in one direction; in another, they vanish and in some the direction is reversed. What happens if a pilot forgets the Earth is spinning beneath them? Well, I landed in Kiribati instead of Ghana.
5-And a Storm is Born
Why do storms form, and how do they spin? Do they really spin or is that just about our perception? What about the storms we conjure in our heads against others? Is the real danger in the winds or in how we insist on seeing everything from our own vantage point?
6-The Story of Flight
For humans flying was a dream until we found the WRIGHT way of doing it. Before taking off, I'll introduce you to my friend Bernoulli. Harmless guy. The only trouble is, once you meet him, he starts following you everywhere. I recently spotted him in a showerhead. Yeah... I know... He's a gentleman, though. Always knocks on the head before entering your brain.
7-To Swing or Not to Swing
Why do golf balls have dimples? Also how does a cricket ball swing through the air, and then out of nowhere change the direction of swing? Physics and bowlers clearly share a wicked sense of humor.
8-The Art and the Artist
Hundreds of thousands of goals have been scored in soccer, but only a few will be remembered as long as humans walk the Earth. Roberto Carlos' free kick is one of them. It was a piece of art painted in thin air. We'll also see how tennis balls dip and how pitchers in baseball make fools out of batters.
9-The Poetry of Fluids
In 2006, a painting was sold for 140 million dollars-the highest price ever paid for a work of art at the time. What made it special? It captured the poetry of fluids in its purest form. No brush imposed control; the fluids spoke in their own language. We'll see the role of fluids in the elegant world of art.
10-The Architect of Modern Living
With a mere flip of a switch, we get cool air, flowing water, and steady light. From pumps that push to turbines that power, this chapter peeks inside the machines that keep our world moving. Oh, and how could we forget what powers our mind? We'll spill those beans too.
11-A Tale of Betrayal
We will witness a story of betrayal where a river changed its mind. It left like a lover who suddenly grows distant and walks away, leaving behind no explanations-only questions, the scars of its absence, and the lingering ache of abandonment.
12-Flow of Life
Just like fluids, life flows too. Unlike rivers or winds however, we are often chasing, rushing, grasping, unsure of what we are truly seeking. To understand life, we must understand its fluid nature. Because we are a living manifestation of fluid mechanics.
