
Why Do Cracking Knuckles Make That Noise? You Might Need a Calculator - dnetesn
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/29/science/cracking-knuckles-mathematical-model.html
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rectang
It's hard to believe that we still don't understand the cracking-knuckles
mechanism. The effect is so large!

Pardon the cruelty of my line of thought here... but do other animals exhibit
the same effect? And could some intrusive measurements be done inserting
probes into the affected areas, possibly damaging the flesh but revealing
data? Even if there might be ethical concerns with such experiments today, I'm
surprised that they were not carried out in decades past.

I suppose it's not the highest priority research...

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caf
Snapping Shrimp have a claw designed to produce a cavitation bubble (in
seawater, not within the joint itself), which collapses to generate one of the
loudest sounds in the ocean.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpheidae](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpheidae)

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voxadam
I'm pretty sure mantis shrimp (stomatopods) do the same thing. Apparently
they're capable of smashing through the glass of aquariums if not properly
reinforced.

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neonate
[http://archive.is/qOdV7](http://archive.is/qOdV7)

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dyarosla
TL;DR: it may (or may not) be due to the formation and/or contraction of a
bubble of gas that forms in the joints: The verdict is still out.

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overcast
I mean there has to be SOMETHING in there that is forming, and then being
removed, right? I can't immediately crack my fingers again. There has to be a
period of time, and it does appear the longer I wait, the larger the
crack(within limits).

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austin_y
I agree that there must be something forming there. I can often 'feel' that a
joint can be popped, prior to actually doing so, and sometimes, it seems,
without even flexing the joint.

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bookofjoe
"A Mathematical Model for the Sounds Produced by Knuckle Cracking" (original
paper — basis for New York Times article)
[https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-22664-4](https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-22664-4)

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bryanph_
You actually can't select text on the nytimes website? Instead they add a
functionality where double clicking changes the font size. Looks like a bored
designer is at work here...

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m12k
I can select text just fine in that article (this is with Chrome on MacOS
10.12 running uBlock Origin)

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bryanph_
Ah I'm using firefox; I suppose it's unintentional then.

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gboss
Are you using a touchscreen computer? There's a bug on the NYT site with
Touchscreen computers that disables highlighting text on Firefox. It's been
bugging me forever, on my Surface Pro.

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bryanph_
yes I have a touchscreen computer

