Imaging technique lets ordinary cameras capture high-speed images of crack formation

Direct imaging of dynamic cracks as they occur can tell us a great deal about the physics of fracturing and properties of fracturing materials, which would benefit many fields ranging from materials science to engineering to construction. However, the fracturing process happens in the blink of an eye, with dynamic cracks propagating through several centimeters of some soft materials in only one-tenth of a second. High-speed cameras can be used to directly image dynamic cracking in some materials...