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What's great about this video and the discussion is that something as familiar as water can have new and non intuitive things to learn about it. Are there any

What's great about this video and the discussion is that something as familiar as water can have new and non intuitive things to learn about it. Are there any other examples of common things that have non obvious behaviour from every day experience?

123pie123 4y ago
water has a fair number interesting properties https://www.chemistryworld.com/features/the-weirdness-of-water/4011260.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/features/the-weirdness-of-wat...
krisoft 4y ago
> Are there any other examples of common things that have non obvious behaviour from every day experience? How about the chain fountain (also from Steve Mould): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dQJBBklpQQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dQJBBklpQQ
dr_kiszonka 4y ago
Sounds like great AskHN material to me, especially if you allow computers-related answers : - )
btilly 4y ago
If you pump air through sand, it turns into a fluid. https://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/royal-institution-fluid-sand-video https://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/royal-institution-fluid... An important example application is in getting grain to flow smoothly out of a grain silo. Some substances are "non-Newtonian fluids" meaning that they are liquid normally but turn solid under pressure. Famously, a mixture of cornstarch and water does this, which kids can have endless fun with: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fnd-2jetT1w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fnd-2jetT1w An example application is bulletproof vests which allow their wearers to move normally but will stop a bullet.
- Georgelemental 4y ago
  > If you pump air through sand, it turns into a fluid. A recently-published fantasy novel uses "seas" of this as a premise: https://www.amazon.com/Tress-Emerald-Sea-Cosmere-Projects-ebook/dp/B0BPNB19CL/ https://www.amazon.com/Tress-Emerald-Sea-Cosmere-Projects-eb...
olejorgenb 4y ago
ZipString/string shooter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rffAjZPmkuU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rffAjZPmkuU (other videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOEXXlXi4RA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOEXXlXi4RA / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2krPkJ1pfs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2krPkJ1pfs) Slightly related: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSSecjKRxEE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSSecjKRxEE (slow moving waves in moving rope) Bruce Yeany have many good videos covering various physics phenomena.

123pie123 4y ago

water has a fair number interesting properties https://www.chemistryworld.com/features/the-weirdness-of-water/4011260.article https://www.chemistryworld.com/features/the-weirdness-of-wat...

krisoft 4y ago

> Are there any other examples of common things that have non obvious behaviour from every day experience? How about the chain fountain (also from Steve Mould): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dQJBBklpQQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dQJBBklpQQ

dr_kiszonka 4y ago

Sounds like great AskHN material to me, especially if you allow computers-related answers : - )

btilly 4y ago

If you pump air through sand, it turns into a fluid. https://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/royal-institution-fluid-sand-video https://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/royal-institution-fluid... An important example application is in getting grain to flow smoothly out of a grain silo. Some substances are "non-Newtonian fluids" meaning that they are liquid normally but turn solid under pressure. Famously, a mixture of cornstarch and water does this, which kids can have endless fun with: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fnd-2jetT1w https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fnd-2jetT1w An example application is bulletproof vests which allow their wearers to move normally but will stop a bullet.

Georgelemental 4y ago
> If you pump air through sand, it turns into a fluid. A recently-published fantasy novel uses "seas" of this as a premise: https://www.amazon.com/Tress-Emerald-Sea-Cosmere-Projects-ebook/dp/B0BPNB19CL/ https://www.amazon.com/Tress-Emerald-Sea-Cosmere-Projects-eb...

olejorgenb 4y ago

ZipString/string shooter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rffAjZPmkuU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rffAjZPmkuU (other videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOEXXlXi4RA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOEXXlXi4RA / https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2krPkJ1pfs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2krPkJ1pfs) Slightly related: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSSecjKRxEE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSSecjKRxEE (slow moving waves in moving rope) Bruce Yeany have many good videos covering various physics phenomena.