Emulsions, aerosols and granular systems

We continue with our exploration of two-phase systems. As you might recall a stable two-phase system consists of a continuous phase and a dispersed phase. In an emulsion we have two fluids as the two phases. The two fluids cannot mix otherwise the two phases would disappear. I already discussed foams and gels as examples. In this episode we will explore more characteristics of these systems. Just like in the case of the foam, when we make an emulsion, there are shear forces at work that break the droplets of the dispersed phase.

Spontaneous symmetry baking

After the discovery of a new boson (most probably the Higgs) at CERN I feel somewhat compelled to explain what the Higgs is and what it does. What better way to do it than with an analogy! We are going to try and recreate the Higgs mechanism with food. This is going to be a rather long post. First I'll explain what the Higgs field is and why it was theorised. After that I will give you a kitchen example of how we can view the Higgs field.