Dyed water was injected into Dawn dish soap to make the Saffman-Taylor fingering instability in a Hele-Shaw cell, and then the top plate was raised and lowered to add air bubbles.

By Benjamin Healy, Jason Brownstein, Ryan Lumley, David Zilis for Spring 2014 Team First.
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Dyed water was injected into Dawn dish soap to make the Saffman-Taylor fingering instability in a Hele-Shaw cell, and then the top plate was raised and lowered to add air bubbles.

Dyed water injected into dyed corn syrup displays the Saffman-Taylor fingering instability in a Hele-Shaw cell.

Dyed water and air injected into honey produces the Taylor-Saffman instability in a Hele-Shaw cell.

Dyed water injected into dyed corn syrup displays the Saffman-Taylor fingering instability in a Hele-Shaw cell.

Dyed water injected into dyed corn syrup displays the Saffman-Taylor fingering instability in a Hele-Shaw cell.

Pressure gradients caused by squeezing and pulling the plates of a Hele-Shaw cell cause the Saffman-Taylor fingering instability in honey, air and dyed water.

Taylor-Saffman instability in a Hele-Shaw cell. The pressure of rapidly injecting water lifted the top sheet, inducing the instability around the outer edge of the honey as air entered.

Dyed water and air injected into honey produces the Taylor-Saffman instability in a Hele-Shaw cell. The pressure of rapidly injecting water lifted the top sheet, inducing the instability around the outer edge of the honey as air entered.

When framed correctly, the patterns on a soap bubble can look like the weather systems of a planet.

Interference of light waves generates a rainbow of colors on the surface of a soap bubble.