How we see Starry Nights and the physics of atmospheric turbulence

Synopsis

Turbulence is often introduced as a textbook example of chaos; yet, it displays a remarkably predictable structure when viewed across length and time scales. This structure is difficult to observe directly, as it emerges only when motion is analysed statistically across orders of magnitude. However, visual representations can sometimes make these multiscale patterns evident in ways that equations alone cannot. In this talk, I introduce atmospheric turbulence and the Kolmogorov model, using Vincent van Gogh's “Starry Night” as a case study. By building intuition for turbulence as a cascade of energy through the atmosphere, we will explore the concept of universal scaling laws that underpin its dynamics. Familiar examples, such as aircraft turbulence and twinkling stars, help ground these ideas physically. Through this exploration, we will demonstrate that van Gogh's late style aligns unexpectedly well with realistic turbulence, reinforcing how order can emerge in seemingly chaotic systems.