New Bubble Popping Theory Could Help Track Ocean Pollution and Viruses

Bubbles are fun for everyone. But, it turns out, they can also be little menaces.

When a bubble pops, it can concentrate and aerosolize any particles stuck on it. Not a big deal when it’s a store-bought soapy bubble bursting in the yard or on your hand. But it’s a major concern when the particles it carries are potentially hazardous: bubbles caught in a crashing wave can send vaporized microplastics into the air where they might mess with the Earth’s atmosphere; bubbles burst by a flushing toilet can fling bacteria meters and onto nearby surfaces; a frothing cruise ship hot tub was once shown to be a Legionnaires’ disease super-spreader.

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David Boas to Deliver Annual DeLisi Lecture

To recognize their contributions to engineering and society, Arthur G. B. Metcalf Endowed Chair and Distinguished Professor David Boas (BME, ECE) is the recipient of the 2023 Charles DeLisi Award and Lecture, while Assistant Professor Hadi Nia (BME, MSE) has earned this year’s Early Career Research Excellence Award. The Charles DeLisi Award and Lecture recognizes […]

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