BLOG, MOVIES & MEDIA
Blog Posts and Movies
Our YouTube channel posts video compilations from the Dynamic Microfluidics Lab.
For example, we have recent ‘lockdown’ videos of sprays and starting fires, and a compilation put together by MacDiarmid Institute Discovery Awards students.
Other team videos:
- Dr Matheu Broom features in our recent Journal of Visual Experiments article explaining how he sets up drop impact experiments
- Science Media Centre videos:
- Dr Steve Wells talks about efficient superconductors (2019).
- Geoff discussing the MacDiarmid Institute’s industry engagement (2019).
- Geoff discussing dynamic microfluidics (2015).
- Dr Matheu Broom was runner-up in the University of Auckland’s 3-minute thesis competition (2018): video.
- Dr Ankita Gangotra won the AMP Ignite competition for a 2.5 minute research pitch (2016): here’s a report on Scoop and the video of her presentation.


Earlier blog posts:
- Geoff’s rugby physics blogs during the 2015 World Cup were used by the BBC, ESPN, the Guardian (UK), and Stuff.
- Scrummaging forces (Stuff version here).
- Forward passes.
- Spiral kicks and swerving balls (Stuff version here).
- Tackle collisions (plus Julian Savea features on Stuff here, the BBC here, ESPN here, the Guardian here).
- Final thoughts
- Blog reflecting on the soft condensed matter research of Sir Sam Edwards (2015).
- Outreach blogs about the MacDiarmid Institute’s Discovery Awards (2015), studying water bombs for the International Young Physicists’ Tournament (2014), and liquid drops in space (2013).
- Blog considering the ranking of scientists in the Reader’s Digest annual list of most trusted people (2014).
- Blog about reviewing a paper on Publons (2014) – link to the review here.
Social Media
Instagram page where Sina Safaei shares some of his molecular dynamics simulations
Twitter: team members @GeoffWillmott, @Santhos79166673 (and former members @ankipodean, @MatheuBroom, @PhysSteve)
Recommeded follows:
- @UoA_Physics, @MacDiarmidInsti, @NZPhysics
- @fyfluiddynamics for droplets and fluids
- @TheNanoporeSite for nanopore science
Other Media Features
- Radio NZ podcast featuring MacDiarmid Institute researchers (from around 18 min 30) on antibacterial and antiviral surfaces (2020).
- Article in The Spinoff for the MacDiarmid Institute on materials for sustainability (2019).
- Interview for a NZ Herald article about a falling pane of glass in Auckland’s CBD (2019).
- Contributed to articles in The Spinoff regarding end of year ‘revelations‘ (2018) and Sir Paul Callaghan (2016).
- Radio appearances on Radio NZ’s One Quick Question discussing ice spikes (at 4 min, 2017) and bubbles (at 1 min, 2017).
- Contributed to a North and South article regarding Government’s plans for assessing the impact of science (2017).
- Description of the “Physics at the Interface” group at Auckland for AAPPS Bulletin (2017).
- NZ Geographic profiled our research regarding water drop impacts on NZ native leaves (2014).
- Geoff on Radio NZ’s Our Changing World (2012).
- Feature on awarded Marsden grants, including Geoff’s, in the Dominion Post (2012).
- Profile of Geoff and rugby physics in Hutt News (2011).