Art and science films

Science in motion.

Art and science films and small games, made from real physics, math and research data: light in water, soap bubbles, fireflies measured in 3D.

See the research films Play the games
The shapetrouble3d mark: a glowing four-pointed shape around a pearl, with one tilted orbit and a small moon
Our mark: the four-pointed shape a bump of water focuses sunlight into, around a pearl with one orbit.

Research films

Real research, made visible

Short films made from real research: a study's own data, or its equations. Each one names its source.

Glowing firefly flashes over a dusk sky, with the caption: Real firefly flashes, filmed for peer-reviewed research.Firefly CodesSeven firefly species, each with its own flash code Firefly flashes in the dark, with the caption: Real fireflies, flashing in sync.Firefly SyncFireflies flashing together, at real speed A firefly above two labelled cameras, with the caption: How do two cameras find a firefly in 3D?Where Beams CrossHow two cameras find a firefly in 3D Round baby starfish packed together, with the caption: Every bead in this crystal is a baby starfish.Living CrystalBaby starfish that form a turning crystal
Watch the research filmsResearchers: a film of your study

Games

Play the physics

Small games that run in your browser, on a phone or a computer. Each one works out its physics and says which parts are game rules.

NewFreePhone or computer

Burnt!

Look into a pool from the side and drop ripples: each one bends sunlight into bright points under it. Land a bright point on a pearl to light it up. Every bright point is worked out from real physics.

Eight short levels, from the shallow end to the deep end, then a new daily pool each day.

Play now
FreePhone or computer

Before It Pops

Keep a soap bubble alive and blow it as high as you can. Its colors come from how thin the soap is, and when the top turns black it is about to pop.

popsthicker

Each day everyone plays the same layout of thorns, so you can compare heights.

Play now

Videos

Watch the videos

Short videos about light, water, soap bubbles, fireflies, living things and the engineering inside everyday things. We say what is real and what is set up for the picture.

Free visuals

Use our visuals

Loops, GIFs, stills and stickers cut from the videos, free to use with credit under the CC BY 4.0 license.

Get the free visualsMake your own GIF or sticker

Credit line to copy:

Visual by @shapetrouble3d (CC BY 4.0)

Use "Make your own GIF or sticker" to cut one from any of our videos. Everything people make shows up on the free visuals page.

About

Science, math, art and physics

shapetrouble3d makes art and science films and small games. Some start from physics: light bending through rippled water, a soap bubble thinning to black, a clear window that hides a picture in its light. Some start from real research: fireflies measured in 3D by two cameras, baby starfish that gather into a crystal. We start from the real thing, then make it beautiful.

Made by @shapetrouble3d. For questions, sponsorships or a film about your research, send a message on Instagram.

How we label things

Data
Measured by a study's team: for example, where and when each firefly flashed.
Worked out
Computed by us from real physics or a study's equations: soap colors, how light bends, how baby starfish move.
Staged
Our choices for the picture or the game: drawings, color and glow, camera moves, speed, music, game rules.