Why your blood should flow like ketchup | Sean Farrington
Host Elise Hu introduces a TEDx talk by chemical engineer Sean Farrington about rheology, the study of how materials flow and deform, and why it matters far beyond consumer products. Farrington explains how rheology is used to control the texture and performance of everyday items like peanut butter, shampoo, and ketchup, then connects these principles to the non-Newtonian, shear-thinning behavior of blood and its link to cardiovascular disease. He argues that measuring blood's viscosity more routinely could improve early detection of heart conditions, describes his work on a portable microfluidic device to make such measurements accessible, and calls for greater awareness and collaboration between engineers, physicians, and the public.