Comments on: Water droplets + aerogel powder = superhydrophobic fun http://boingboing.net/2012/06/07/water-droplets-aerogel-powde.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Wed, 19 Jun 2013 23:52:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Thomas Shaddack http://boingboing.net/2012/06/07/water-droplets-aerogel-powde.html#comment-1447050 Thomas Shaddack Mon, 11 Jun 2012 05:18:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=165198#comment-1447050 Reminds me the fun we had with mercury when in the polarography lab class! Nothing feels like pouring metal from hand to hand. The reprimand from the teacher was worth it. Reminds me the fun we had with mercury when in the polarography lab class! Nothing feels like pouring metal from hand to hand. The reprimand from the teacher was worth it.

]]> By: Lilith999 http://boingboing.net/2012/06/07/water-droplets-aerogel-powde.html#comment-1446247 Lilith999 Sat, 09 Jun 2012 15:06:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=165198#comment-1446247 Yipes. My mom told me once about how her mom would let her play with it, but only out on the concrete driveway. Still, she used to push and smoosh it with her fingers, even though she had been told not to.  Yipes. My mom told me once about how her mom would let her play with it, but only out on the concrete driveway. Still, she used to push and smoosh it with her fingers, even though she had been told not to. 

]]> By: travtastic http://boingboing.net/2012/06/07/water-droplets-aerogel-powde.html#comment-1446242 travtastic Sat, 09 Jun 2012 14:50:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=165198#comment-1446242 That'll teach you to put off leveling your tables. That’ll teach you to put off leveling your tables.

]]> By: Susskins http://boingboing.net/2012/06/07/water-droplets-aerogel-powde.html#comment-1445284 Susskins Fri, 08 Jun 2012 04:26:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=165198#comment-1445284 There were maze games in the seventies that worked with a drop of water rolling around in a plastic shell.  The water drop rode on some hydrophobic coating in the maze.  (Similar to earlier mercury mazes, but significantly less toxic.)  There was a small hole in the covering of the maze where you would drop in the water. My brother had one, and I was fascinated by it.  Can't remember the name of them, and Google is not being particularly helpful tonight.  May have been "Slicksilver", according to one forum post I saw, but I can't find any more information. There were maze games in the seventies that worked with a drop of water rolling around in a plastic shell.  The water drop rode on some hydrophobic coating in the maze.  (Similar to earlier mercury mazes, but significantly less toxic.)  There was a small hole in the covering of the maze where you would drop in the water.

My brother had one, and I was fascinated by it.  Can’t remember the name of them, and Google is not being particularly helpful tonight.  May have been “Slicksilver”, according to one forum post I saw, but I can’t find any more information.

]]> By: Noctilucent Studios http://boingboing.net/2012/06/07/water-droplets-aerogel-powde.html#comment-1445140 Noctilucent Studios Fri, 08 Jun 2012 01:59:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=165198#comment-1445140 "Small people"? Heck, I'm 6 feet tall and I would LOVE to see this in person. Very cool! “Small people”? Heck, I’m 6 feet tall and I would LOVE to see this in person. Very cool!

]]> By: Charlie B http://boingboing.net/2012/06/07/water-droplets-aerogel-powde.html#comment-1445105 Charlie B Fri, 08 Jun 2012 01:33:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=165198#comment-1445105  No, it wears off and becomes a nasty pollutant.  No, it wears off and becomes a nasty pollutant.

]]> By: David Randall Best http://boingboing.net/2012/06/07/water-droplets-aerogel-powde.html#comment-1445037 David Randall Best Fri, 08 Jun 2012 00:44:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=165198#comment-1445037 I work for a company (www.aerolenz.com) that makes insulation products for skylights using translucent, hydrophobic aerogel. We do this trick at trade shows. Haven't ever gotten a finger dusty enough to do the glass of water trick linked above, but now I have to try. I work for a company (www.aerolenz.com) that makes insulation products for skylights using translucent, hydrophobic aerogel. We do this trick at trade shows. Haven’t ever gotten a finger dusty enough to do the glass of water trick linked above, but now I have to try.

]]> By: Aaron Swain http://boingboing.net/2012/06/07/water-droplets-aerogel-powde.html#comment-1444690 Aaron Swain Thu, 07 Jun 2012 19:42:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=165198#comment-1444690 Wow! This would be perfect for the inside of ketchup bott.......DAMN IT!! Wow! This would be perfect for the inside of ketchup bott…….DAMN IT!!

]]> By: James B http://boingboing.net/2012/06/07/water-droplets-aerogel-powde.html#comment-1444686 James B Thu, 07 Jun 2012 19:41:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=165198#comment-1444686 Wonder if you managed to got a thin sheet of water over this stuff, if  little quantum vortices would start to form like when they sprinkle hydrogen ice over superfluid helium. Wonder if you managed to got a thin sheet of water over this stuff, if  little quantum vortices would start to form like when they sprinkle hydrogen ice over superfluid helium.

]]> By: confu http://boingboing.net/2012/06/07/water-droplets-aerogel-powde.html#comment-1444593 confu Thu, 07 Jun 2012 18:37:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=165198#comment-1444593 When I was a  kid I noticed a similar effect in our shower; where the water dripped down from the soap dish it coated an area with a hydrophobic surface. After seeing this I just confirmed my assumption at the time that it had sth. to do with the calcium (and magnesium) in our hard water and the soap. As I just learned, these minerals and some soap ingredients react and the result is hydrophobic "soap scum" or "lime soap". And as I further found out, this effect is i.a. traditionally used in Morocco for nearly waterproof plasters; see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tadelakt Quite interesting. When I was a  kid I noticed a similar effect in our shower; where the water dripped down from the soap dish it coated an area with a hydrophobic surface.
After seeing this I just confirmed my assumption at the time that it had sth. to do with the calcium (and magnesium) in our hard water and the soap.
As I just learned, these minerals and some soap ingredients react and the result is hydrophobic “soap scum” or “lime soap”.
And as I further found out, this effect is i.a. traditionally used in Morocco for nearly waterproof plasters;
see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tadelakt
Quite interesting.

]]> By: beemoh http://boingboing.net/2012/06/07/water-droplets-aerogel-powde.html#comment-1444541 beemoh Thu, 07 Jun 2012 17:56:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=165198#comment-1444541 From the related videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt1TfPuTzq0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyS6fx7K6PM Hydrophobia is *amazing*. From the related videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt1TfPuTzq0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyS6fx7K6PM

Hydrophobia is *amazing*.

]]> By: corey f lyons http://boingboing.net/2012/06/07/water-droplets-aerogel-powde.html#comment-1444519 corey f lyons Thu, 07 Jun 2012 17:43:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=165198#comment-1444519 i want culinary-grade aerogel now.... let's taking plating modernist cuisine dishes to the next level! i want culinary-grade aerogel now…. let’s taking plating modernist cuisine dishes to the next level!

]]> By: SomeGuyNamedMark http://boingboing.net/2012/06/07/water-droplets-aerogel-powde.html#comment-1444512 SomeGuyNamedMark Thu, 07 Jun 2012 17:36:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=165198#comment-1444512 Is the aerogel coating transparent and tough?  Would be great for car windshields. Is the aerogel coating transparent and tough?  Would be great for car windshields.

]]> By: John Boggs http://boingboing.net/2012/06/07/water-droplets-aerogel-powde.html#comment-1444505 John Boggs Thu, 07 Jun 2012 17:31:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=165198#comment-1444505  Us, too, though Mom wouldn't put it on the floor. We used dinner plates.  Us, too, though Mom wouldn’t put it on the floor. We used dinner plates.

]]> By: Brad H. http://boingboing.net/2012/06/07/water-droplets-aerogel-powde.html#comment-1444472 Brad H. Thu, 07 Jun 2012 17:13:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=165198#comment-1444472 Not reading the headline the pyromaniac in me saw the match and liquid and thought kablammo!!! Not reading the headline the pyromaniac in me saw the match and liquid and thought kablammo!!!

]]> By: silkox http://boingboing.net/2012/06/07/water-droplets-aerogel-powde.html#comment-1444421 silkox Thu, 07 Jun 2012 16:37:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=165198#comment-1444421 Just like the mercury we used to play with on the kitchen floor! Just like the mercury we used to play with on the kitchen floor!

]]> By: robdobbs http://boingboing.net/2012/06/07/water-droplets-aerogel-powde.html#comment-1444404 robdobbs Thu, 07 Jun 2012 16:27:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=165198#comment-1444404 These folks are working on bringing a spray to market: http://www.neverwet.com These folks are working on bringing a spray to market: http://www.neverwet.com

]]> By: d g http://boingboing.net/2012/06/07/water-droplets-aerogel-powde.html#comment-1444385 d g Thu, 07 Jun 2012 16:18:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=165198#comment-1444385 Where can one purchase hydrophobic aerogel powder in hobbyist quantities? The closest I was able to find was 1mm granules at http://www.buyaerogel.com/. Where can one purchase hydrophobic aerogel powder in hobbyist quantities? The closest I was able to find was 1mm granules at http://www.buyaerogel.com/.

]]> By: seyo http://boingboing.net/2012/06/07/water-droplets-aerogel-powde.html#comment-1444374 seyo Thu, 07 Jun 2012 16:10:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=165198#comment-1444374 beautiful. it could be the basis for some very interesting art/photo/motion graphics projects. beautiful. it could be the basis for some very interesting art/photo/motion graphics projects.

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