How Does a “Reverse Sprinkler” Work? Researchers Solve Decades-Old Physics Puzzle

Payne Institute Faculty Fellow Brennan Sprinkle contributes to this article about how for decades scientists have been trying to solve Feynman’s Sprinkler Problem: How does a sprinkler running in reverse—in which the water flows into the device rather than out of it—work? Through a series of experiments, a team of mathematicians has figured out how flowing fluids exert forces and move structures, thereby revealing the answer to this long-standing mystery. January 26, 2024.