It's not a horror movie; it's physics

This creepy-looking image of U.S. swimmer Tyler Clary has its origin in the movement of water molecules. The Fuck Yeah Fluid Dynamics tumblr explains what's going on — and how physics can make a swimmer look like a shiny, face-melted ghoul.

Maggie Koerth-Baker is the science editor at BoingBoing.net. She writes a monthly column for The New York Times Magazine and is the author of Before the Lights Go Out, a book about electricity, infrastructure, and the future of energy. You can find Maggie on Twitter and Facebook.

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MORE: creepy • fluid dynamics • photos • physics • Science

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In his explanation he completely omits the huge role that refraction plays in creating that appearance.
hardwarejunkie9

^ (her*)
edgore

That’s just what happens when you put a Deep One into water.
daemonsquire

Some Ultra Ever Dry will fix this right up.
steve849

Baloney. No way surface tension forces are that strong.
Nathaniel

I couldn’t be bothered to register an account to reply at FYFD, but I’m certain his explanation is wrong. It’s nothing to do with surface tension, it’s because the flow over him is nearly laminar.