  By means of high-resolution numerical simulations, we compare the statistical
properties of homogeneous and isotropic turbulence to those of the
Navier-Stokes equation where small-scale vortex filaments are strongly
depleted, thanks to a non-linear extra viscosity acting preferentially on high
vorticity regions. We show that the presence of such smart small-scale drag can
strongly reduce intermittency and non-Gaussian fluctuations. Our results pave
the way towards a deeper understanding on the fundamental role of degrees of
freedom in turbulence as well as on the impact of (pseudo)coherent structures
on the statistical small-scale properties. Our work can be seen as a first
attempt to develop smart-Lagrangian forcing/drag mechanisms to control
turbulence.
