Thunderstorms can be something wonderful: What could be nicer than sitting inside in the warm, while outside lightning and thundering and the gusts of wind lash the rain around? Sometimes you would like to capture this cozy feeling and put it on your desk …

Make turbulence visible In so-called rheoscopic fluids one can make currents and turbulence visible. Typically these liquids contain mica – a mineral made up of tiny shiny platelets that move around easily in liquids. The mica platelets reflect incident light and transform turbulence into a fascinating spectacle.

You can find large rotating vessels that are filled with a rheoscopic liquid, for example in scientific museums: you can use them to demonstrate atmospheric currents on the surface of planets. On YouTube you can find a video of the Atmospheric Movement exhibit at the Glasgow Science Center, which inspired me to this project, as well as my proof-of-concept video, which shows the vortex effect in a backlit kalliroscope.

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