New preprint! arxiv.org/abs/2511.00234 In collaboration with Ryker Fish & Brennan Sprinkle, Akalanka found patterning that emerges in strongly confined microroller suspensions. Surprisingly, the mechanism for the pattern formation is the recirculating flow created by (very) far away boundaries.

PSA: Ghostscript is magic and you should be using it! Using ps2pdf makes your file much smaller (say to fit grant rules), seemingly with no loss of quality. (I do not know how the magic works, but have been told it removes unnecessary Adobe overhead.) web.mit.edu/ghostscript/...

Curious about the latest advancements in soft matter physics by young researchers? Join our Students’ Virtual Conference, on November 6th from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. ET! We have a great lineup of 20 speakers covering a wide range of topics. Register via the QR code or via tinyurl.com/DSOFTConfere...

We are happy to announce the DSOFT Students’ Virtual Conference, on November 6, 2025 from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. ET! We have a great lineup of 20 speakers covering a diverse range of topics in soft matter physics. Register via the link or QR code to participate! tinyurl.com/DSOFTConfere...

The Society of Rheology meeting in Santa Fe has been amazing. Awesome talks and excellent sunsets!

There's still time to submit an abstract for the 2026 #APSGlobalPhysicsSummit @apsphysics.bsky.social. By Thurs, 10/23: summit.aps.org Trevor Jones and I invite submissions to the @apsdsoft.bsky.social focus session on Crafted Matter. Excited for invited talks from Lining Yao & @ttc.bsky.social !

📢📢Rally for Dr. Tom Alter and #FreeSpeech TODAY 11am! Details below! 👇

Still a few more days left to apply for this PhD position at @pcc-wur.bsky.social

Join our panel discussion "Applying for PhD positions in soft matter physics" on October 9th at 12 pm ET! Learn about how to find a program/advisor, get good recommendation letters, and craft a compelling application for graduate school. apsphysics.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

DSOFT invites students and recent graduates to participate in our Students’ Virtual Conference, on November 6th (10 a.m.-4 p.m. ET). The conference aims to discuss the latest advancements in soft matter physics by students. If you wish to present your work, please find details in the post below!

Amazing!

As part of his magnificent M.Sc thesis at @pcc-wur.bsky.social , Christoph shows how to harness viscoelasticity to control spontaneous self-emulsification of multicomponent droplets. More in the open access article: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

Just like Northwestern

Great opportunity to work on cool science in Germany!

"The freedom to speak becomes meaningless when disconnected from the possibility of being heard." A powerful statement from @alondra.bsky.social on her decision to resign from the National Science Board & the LoC Scholars Council -- read the whole thing time.com/7285045/resi...

Last few spots for this exciting summer school are still open!

New op-ed in @nature.com: The Trump administration's assault on freedoms and the rule of law is an existential threat to US science. We urge scientists to speak out in defense of freedoms, not just funding. With Andrea Liu @upenn.edu and Sidney Nagel of UChicago! www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Best quote ever from my favorite physicist (and my PhD advisor): “What kind of physicist are you? Weird.”

Gearing up for our upcoming exhibition in the European Cultural Centre’s architecture biennale, Time Space Existence 2025! Kirigami d’Aria explores how structures based on kirigami (“cut paper”) can be used in architectural settings, adaptively tailoring airflow and shading in public spaces.

APSMarch attendees: eat to bed early so you can get to the 8am session on Friday: Bioinspired phase separation, wi the Lorenzo Di Michele and many other great speakers. 8am sharp in the Hilton 4th floor Palos Verdes room summit.aps.org/events/MAR-W64

Check out Shih-Yuan's talk tomorrow afternoon about the strange elastic properties of liquid marbles AKA why it is fun to squish liquid marbles. MAR-S61@14:06pm in Anaheim Hilton, Pacific D

Start you morning off right - come see Shih-Yuan's awesome invited talk! "From Wobble-and-Slide to Rock-and-Roll... and Jump!" MAR-L03, 9:12 in the *Convention Center* Room 203A

APS March meeting coming up: the fun starts Sun 3/16 with Squishy Science Sunday!

Today is the day!! Absolutely in awe about what a bunch of grad students were able to pull off when they looked around and realized no one else was standing up.

I know where I will be tomorrow afternoon - Chicago science friends, I hope to see you all there!!!

I am WAY behind on celebrating this win - I blame it equally on double teaching and the world falling apart. Driscoll lab member Haley Shamah won the top prize for Best Poster at CU*iP recently! I am so proud!!

Re-posts appreciated! We have an open PhD position w/ Prof Harold Auradou on #microswimmers/#protists in complex media! Students get to spend at least 12 months in Paris, and will receive their PhD from both Exeter and Paris-Saclay! Apply by 31st Mar. More details: adum.fr/as/ed/voirpr...

Are you enthusiastic about interdisciplinary research at the interface of physics and biology, and using state-of-the-art experimental and theoretical tools to unravel the biophysical mechanisms of immune cell functioning? Then we might have an open PhD position for you! www.wur.nl/en/vacancy/p...

Read this interview with the students behind @standupforscience.bsky.social. 1) These kids are the best and science is lucky to have them And 2) Why are the leaders of our universities remaining silent while our PhD students fight on behalf of us all??? www.scientificamerican.com/article/stan...

I am so grateful to the leadership of early career folks on this - I call on all of us to stand with them.

Hey #Chicago! It's time to take a stand for #science. We are rallying on March 7 at noon at the Federal Plaza. Start making your signs! Info standupforscience2025.org/chicago-il/ RSVP (optional) www.eventbrite.com/e/stand-up-f... #standupforscience #scienceforall @standupforscience.bsky.social

Trump Administration Stalls Scientific Research Despite Court Ruling www.nytimes.com/2025/02/21/s...

Ok scientists & those who love science 🧪: here is another exhortation. Call Congress TODAY about the freeze on NIH Council Meetings and Study Sections. Emphasize that this means NO new grants are being funded & labs will soon start to shut down and fire employees. Phone numbers are at: 5calls.org

This is excellent!

Vaccines work! As measles cases have recently been reported in Alaska, Georgia, New York, Rhode Island and Texas, it's important to remember that prior to the introduction of the measles vaccine in 1963, measles killed 400-500 people and resulted in ~48,000 hospitalizations per year.

The next edition of the Han-sur-Lesse summerschool on Soft Matter and Biological Physics is now finalised, with lectures on 6 exciting topics! Join us this summer in the Belgian Ardennes for 5 days of science and socialising. Seats are limited, so hurry! #softmatter #biophysics hslwinterschool.com

I'm hearing about NSF funding opportunities being archived. Which funding opportunities have you seen taken down and how does that impact you? DMs open. You can also reach me on Signal (kvasquez.12) or email ([email protected]). #ChemSky #AcademicSky

If you’re a federal govt employee targeted for leave or termination on the basis of your DEI work, please file an EEO (Equal Employment Opportunity) complaint & retain legal counsel. I’m a former NIH PI. Happy to refer you to a law firm that has successfully sued the govt many times! Pls repost 🙏❤️

New preprint! When and how do active flows become turbulent? We found that, in unconfined active nematics, the transition to turbulence is discontinuous! With @the-chaotician.bsky.social @mpipks.bsky.social arxiv.org/abs/2501.060...

Our paper on using small molecules that self-assemble on polymer surfaces to engineer wearable energy harvesters is out today in Science Advances! Learn about how scaling analysis and fundamental soft matter can impact technology. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

At DFD? Check out Shankhadeeps's awesome talk on wobbly drops which behave in unexpected ways, X09:7, Ballroom I 9:18 #DFD2024 @apsfluiddynamic

At DFD? Start your morning off right - come check out Akalanka's fantastic talk on confinement-induced structure in driven suspensions A03:1, Ballroom C, 8am, #DFD2024 @apsfluiddynamic