How do you like to split open and eat an Oreo cookie? How can you most effectively separate the creme from the cookie shell? Yes, there’s a lot of folk wisdom about this. But Oreo creme is a fluid and thus this is a question of fluid dynamics.
Researchers led by Crystal E. Owens, a doctoral student at MIT, recently published the results of their study into the fluid dynamics of Oreo cookies and how to optimize the separate process. They published their article titled “On Oreology, The Fracture and Flow of ‘Milk’s Favorite Cookie’” in the journal Physics of Fluids.
The researchers experimented with Oreos under a wide variety of conditions, including the placement of the Oreo within its box and the use of milk. They concluded that a twisting motion works best.
But this is MIT--a school devoted to more than just pure science. They had to use their knowledge to build the most efficient Oreo-splitting device possible. The result is the Oreometer--a 3D printed machine that breaks the Oreos as only the best scientific research can produce.
-via Gizmodo