In the 1960s, the mesmerising, dancing fluids of the ubiquitous Astro Lamp (better known as the Lava Lamp) symbolised a future of endless peace and prosperity when everyone would live the glamorous life of the international jet set. While we wait for that future to arrive, the Lava Lamp serves as a distraction for the stresses of everyday life and, for physicists, a beautiful demonstration of the chaotic dynamics of convecting systems.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://www.geo-down-under.org.au/lava-lamps-thermochemical-convection/
