We know an enormous amount about the chemistry of a living cell, but next to nothing about its physics — the interplay of forces between organelles and molecules that governs the cell’s detailed behaviour. Think of the plasma membrane, for example: an oily sea of phospholipid molecules studded with protein ‘icebergs’ of different shapes and sizes, some floating free and others anchored at their...

Habitat mapping, physical characteristics and benthic community of a rhodolith bed in the Pelagie Islands (Strait Sicily, Mediterranean Sea) were studied through Multi–Beam Echo–Sounder (MBES), Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) grab samples. The geomorphological analysis revealed an articulated wide bed; video inspections highlighted with high coverage, few sandy patches prevalence boxwork morpho...

Meandering instability is familiar to everyone through river meandering or small rivulets of rain flowing down a windshield. However, its physical understanding is still premature, although it could inspire researchers in various fields, such as nonlinear science, fluid mechanics and geophysics, to resolve their long-standing problems. Here, we perform a small-scale experiment in which air flow...