In Physics of Fluids, researchers from Brown University present two related studies about thin film fluid flows in the kitchen: one about the relationship between how long it takes to tip the remaining liquid out of a container and its viscosity, and the other about the ideal time to wait before dumping water out of a wok to minimize rusting — it’s more effective to wait a few minutes to let the water accumulate so there’s more to pour out.

Excessive mobile gaming is raising concerns about health and sleep, but research from Kyushu University suggests that small changes can help. In a global study involving over 80,000 players, the team found that grayscale visuals and loading delays encourage users to reduce playtime naturally. When combined with a 10-second delay, grayscale reduced daily playtime by 30.8% and retention by 40.4%. The team calls on developers to adopt these insights to create healthier digital spaces.