From 23 to 5 million years ago, the Miocene rewired Earth. Himalayan–Tibetan uplift reshaped climate and monsoons; Africa–Arabia sutured to Eurasia, enabling massive faunal exchanges; Antarctica's isolation launched the circumpolar current and long-term cooling. Global drying and cooling spurred grasslands, drove mammal diversification, and fostered kelp forests, while creating the habitat mosaic that set the stage for human origins in East Africa. This episode ties deep Earth processes to th...
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From 23 to 5 million years ago, the Miocene rewired Earth. Himalayan–Tibetan uplift reshaped climate and monsoons; Africa–Arabia sutured to Eurasia, enabling massive faunal exchanges; Antarctica's isolation launched the circumpolar current and long-term cooling. Global drying and cooling spurred grasslands, drove mammal diversification, and fostered kelp forests, while creating the habitat mosaic that set the stage for human origins in East Africa. This episode ties deep Earth processes to th...
Moist Sand, Mighty Structures: The Physics of Sandcastles
Intellectually Curious
5 minutes
4 days ago
Moist Sand, Mighty Structures: The Physics of Sandcastles
Why does dry sand crumble while a splash of water lets it stand tall? We dive into the granular physics behind sandcastles, exploring capillary bridges, surface tension, and the surprising power of tiny water fractions. Learn about the pendular and funicular regimes, why about 1% water is often optimal, and how compaction strengthens the structure. We’ll connect these beachside insights to civil engineering, geophysics, and the everyday engineering of stability in sands, landslides, and earth...
Intellectually Curious
From 23 to 5 million years ago, the Miocene rewired Earth. Himalayan–Tibetan uplift reshaped climate and monsoons; Africa–Arabia sutured to Eurasia, enabling massive faunal exchanges; Antarctica's isolation launched the circumpolar current and long-term cooling. Global drying and cooling spurred grasslands, drove mammal diversification, and fostered kelp forests, while creating the habitat mosaic that set the stage for human origins in East Africa. This episode ties deep Earth processes to th...
