Ever wondered why tea leaves gather at the bottom of your tea cup? Einstein did too, especially since they didn’t follow the laws of centrifugal force. Newsday.com has a nice article that explains it all.

According to Einstein, the leaves’ motion reveals the circulation of water in the cup. Stirring makes the water spin around a central axis, and spiral out from the center. But the water down below is slowed by friction with the cup’s bottom; its spin is weakened. The rotation difference creates a circulation system in the cup: Water at the top, strongly spun outward, travels down the wall and across the cup’s bottom, and then flows back up the central axis.

And this paradox has lead to a new blood test – to find out more follow the link:
HOW COME?: Loose tea leaves gather in a cup’s center — Newsday.com

Tags: tea, science, tea leaves