The energy balance equations: or what’s in a name?  Over the last few years I have noticed that the Karman-Howarth equation is sometimes referred to nowadays as the `scale-by-scale energy budget equation’. Having thought about it carefully, I have concluded that I understand that description; but I think the mere fact that one has toContinue reading The energy balance equation: or what’s in a name?

Wavenumber Murder and other grisly tales. When I was first at Edinburgh, I worked on developing a theory of turbulent drag reduction by additives. But, instead of considering polymers, I studied the much less well-known phenomenon involving macroscopic fibres. This was because it seemed to me that the fibres were probably of a length whichContinue reading Wavenumber Murder and other grisly tales

HIT: Do three-letter acronyms always win out? In 1997, I visited Delft Technical University and while I was there gave a course of lectures on turbulence theory. During these lectures, I mentioned that nowadays people seemed to refer to homogeneous, isotropic turbulence; whereas, when I started out, it was commonplace to simply say isotropic turbulence.Continue reading HIT: Do three-letter acronyms always win out?

The First Post Many years ago, early in my career, I learned the hard way that every paper submitted for publication should be ruthlessly pared down to consist solely of factual material and fully justified statements. Any personal opinions, speculations, whimsical thoughts, comments or suchlike, should be eliminated; as, in the words of the poetContinue reading The First Post