Granular convection takes place everywhere: candy in a box, sand on the beach, foam in a cushion. Often referred to as the 'Brazil nut effect,' granular convection occurs when solid, independent, irregularly shaped particles reorder themselves following agitation. One might think, intuitively, that the larger pieces fall to the bottom, but it is their size, and not their density, that alters their location, and the larger pieces end up on the top. In the world of competitive running, elite athletes have their footwear individually designed for needs such as foot shape and pressure points. Comfortable and supportive footwear can assist optimal performance. However, most footwear is standardized and doesn't offer a personalized performance. MIT associate professor of architecture Skylar Tibbits, founder and co-director of the Self-Assembly Lab in the MIT School of Architecture and Planning, along with various MIT colleagues, have been developing tests surrounding the phenomenon of...
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