A bigger splash: The mathematics of spilling beer

A team of researchers has ventured deep into the physics of spilling to uncover why pints of beer splash everywhere but liquid in straws do not when positioned horizontally. The relationship between the possibility of spillage and a tube was thought to be based on the size of the tube’s opening. A paper published on the …

[Mike 140]

"It took the researchers more than seven years to study the mechanics of what makes liquids leak."

And much fun was had by all.

[allthecoolshortnamesweretaken]

"So choose a thin, circular glass to pour your beer into next time."

Kölsch should be relatively safe then; the glasses traditionally used are basically slightly oversized test tubes.

[A K Stiles]

New line of investigation

But they've only been researching how liquid will run out of a vessel when it is on its side, not how easy it is to tip one over when full?

Next seven years spent determining the ease with which a full pint can be knocked out of

1/. tall, thin glass

2/. conical glass

3/. bulging glass

4/. stein

5/. tankard

6/. dimpled pint jug

7/. stemmed, fluted, 'call that a pint?!?' glass

(mine's the one with the dimpled pint in the pocket)

[Axman]

Re: New line of investigation

You missed out 8/. milk bottle

I only ever drink my pints out of a milk bottle. I have one stashed behind the bar of my local*. Even when the pub bully deliberately bangs into the table, mine's the safest pint in the establishment.

*(spoiler alert: I have of course made that up)

[memotypic]

#fail

Surface tension works best across *gasp* smaller diameters?

Everything is different now.

Oh no, hang on, it isn't.

[You aint sin me, roit]

Re: #fail

Coupled with "Circle still best for minimizing circumference wrt surface area".

[Ben Bonsall]

Use a Kwak glass. Unspillable due to the large wooden stand/handle employed to keep a tall round bottomed vessel upright. Much like a barstool is used by the drinker.