The Ed.
Well-Known Member
I'm not sure if this particular scientist was having a quiet day in the office, but he suddenly had an epiphany.
"It is remarkable what some people are willing to do to make their nails look good, and it is in this context that I decided to look at what we really know about nails. Reading the scientific literature on nails I quickly realised that very little physics or maths had been applied to nails and their conditions."
I have to say, I've had the same thoughts as well, and would have obviously taken this challenge on myself if it wasn't for the million other things that I had to apply maths and physics to first (namely, probable projected course of baby vomit or optimum temperature/washing powder/stain remover combo).
However, thankfully I can scratch this off my 'To Do' list now that good old, Cyril Rauch has taken the task on. So, after all that, what did he discover? In (very) basic layman's terms, he discovered that if you fiddle about with your nails too much - i.e. daily - you are more likely to do them damage.
According to the press release (and because it's way too complicated for me to begin to digest and regurgitate), "Looking at our results, we suggest that nail beauty fanatics who trim their nails on a daily basis opt for straight or parabolic edges, as otherwise they may amplify the imbalance of stresses which could lead to a number of serious conditions."
In their study, the researchers focused specifically on ingrown toe nails which, though recognised for a long time, still lack a satisfactory treatment as the causes remain largely unknown.
When devising their equations, the researchers accounted for the strong adhesion of nails to their bed through tiny, microscopic structures, which allow the nail to slide forwards and grow in a "ratchet-like" fashion by continuously binding and unbinding to the nail.
I suspect it's only a matter of time before your all having pretty posters made displaying the ins and outs of complex nail-stress-modeling equations.
Until then...geek on!
The Ed.
"It is remarkable what some people are willing to do to make their nails look good, and it is in this context that I decided to look at what we really know about nails. Reading the scientific literature on nails I quickly realised that very little physics or maths had been applied to nails and their conditions."
I have to say, I've had the same thoughts as well, and would have obviously taken this challenge on myself if it wasn't for the million other things that I had to apply maths and physics to first (namely, probable projected course of baby vomit or optimum temperature/washing powder/stain remover combo).
However, thankfully I can scratch this off my 'To Do' list now that good old, Cyril Rauch has taken the task on. So, after all that, what did he discover? In (very) basic layman's terms, he discovered that if you fiddle about with your nails too much - i.e. daily - you are more likely to do them damage.
According to the press release (and because it's way too complicated for me to begin to digest and regurgitate), "Looking at our results, we suggest that nail beauty fanatics who trim their nails on a daily basis opt for straight or parabolic edges, as otherwise they may amplify the imbalance of stresses which could lead to a number of serious conditions."
In their study, the researchers focused specifically on ingrown toe nails which, though recognised for a long time, still lack a satisfactory treatment as the causes remain largely unknown.
When devising their equations, the researchers accounted for the strong adhesion of nails to their bed through tiny, microscopic structures, which allow the nail to slide forwards and grow in a "ratchet-like" fashion by continuously binding and unbinding to the nail.
I suspect it's only a matter of time before your all having pretty posters made displaying the ins and outs of complex nail-stress-modeling equations.
Until then...geek on!
The Ed.
