Aerogel is a truly amazing material. It is the lightest solid on the planet – up to 99% air. It is strong enough to support up to 4,000 times it’s own weight. It looks like solid smoke, and can absorb water better than a sponge, yet a thin piece can also shield and protect your skin from a blowtorch flame. Surely everything should be made of this – why haven’t we heard of it?
Like the theremin we featured a few weeks ago, aerogel is proof that not all amazing stuff is well known. In fact, it was invented by American scientist Steven Kistler way back in 1931, in response to a bet with a friend over who could replace the liquid in ‘jellies’ with gas, without causing shrinkage. Apparently chemical engineers don’t take a wager lightly!
0 comments:
Post a Comment