Fluids and fluid flow are closely intertwined with the evolution and function of
living things in a remarkable partnership between the inanimate and the animate.
At the root of this partnership are the unique mechanical properties of fluids
which give them their magical “fluidity” and make them an ideal medium for the
transmission of forces and the transportation of goods, and for the provision of an
individual lifeline to every one of many millions of cells within a living organism.
It is so often said that life is not possible without air and water, yet, to be more
accurate, it should be said that life is not possible without the fluidity of air and
water. Not even in the realm of science fiction is it possible to imagine a living
organism without the facility of fluids and fluid flow. The talk will discuss the
unique mechanical properties of fluids and how these are dealt with
mathematically, the nature of blood flow in the cardiovascular system, the
mathematics and physics of pulsatile flow, the (fractal?) structure of vascular
trees, flow in branching tubes, wave reflections, and (time permitting) the heart
and coronary blood flow.
Audio (MP3 File, Podcast Ready)
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