Trips Hotlist Turbulent Landsapes Exhibits Aeolian Landscape presents a swirling storm of sand inside a large chamber covered by plexiglass top. A knob on the top of the exhibit rotates a sturdy fan set in the base of the chamber. As you turn the fan, the sand inside begins to swirl and accumlate in patterns suggestive of a desert landscape as if seen from high above.
Water streaming into a shallow dish creates a large whirlpool.
As the water drains, intricate surface waves spiral in and out of the center and the entire vortex begins to slowly oscillate, revolving around the drain. The oscillations grow with each revolution until the vortex is so unstable that it breaks away from the drain and a new vortex immediately forms. It's easy to predict the motion of a single pendulum. The motion of this large pendulum is more complex because it has smaller pendulums attached to it. Each of these pendulums influences the motions of the others, making the overall motion chaotic and unpredictable.