Shaking a beaker filled with tiny glass beads and a few larger beads, Dr. de Bruyn proves his point. The large beads rise to the surface after a few shakes. By repeatedly freezing and thawing a mixture of these glass beads and water, he will be able to gather further information on this intriguing natural occurrence. While much of the work Dr. de Bruyn is conducting may be considered pure research, he is quick to point out that there are many practical applications for pattern formation research. There are a lot of areas where it is used, such as in the study of the atmosphere and clouds or the behaviour of the oceans.
Patterns crop up everywhere in nature.
If we can detect a pattern to natural phenomena, then maybe we can understand them better. One of the several experiments currently being conducted by Dr. de Bruyn may prove of interest to the printing industry. By studying why finger-like patterns arise in the ink on spinning rollers, the primary cause of streaking in the paper coating process, it may be possible to devise a faster, more efficient coating process. Interestingly, Dr. de Bruyn began his career in pattern formation research almost by accident when he applied for a post-doctoral position at the University of California in Santa Barbara. The job he applied for wasn't available, but he was offered a position working on pattern formation instead.