wnycradiolab:

Aaaand now I’m obsessed with ferrofluids.

Join the club, Radiolab! 

Ferrofluids are a colloid, like mayonnaise, except instead of fat suspended in liquid there’s iron-containing particles that can respond to a magnetic field. The particles are so small that they can remain dispersed in the liquid instead of sedimenting, the way that sand sinks and river silt stays suspended. When a magnetic field and some kind of substructure is applied (here, the cones), you get something amazing.

The peaks and valleys that are created are due to the magnetic field preferring the liquid over the air (something called “normal-field instability”). You get liquid dancing in dimensions that you aren’t used to seeing, and you get the illusion of dancing, dynamic solids growing solely from a black lagoon.

I’m gonna need a minute. This was too cool.

411 Notes/ Hide

  1. equivocal-exclamations reblogged this from jtotheizzoe and added:
    Ferrofluids
  2. intangentmausoleum reblogged this from jtotheizzoe
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  17. nikeairkicks reblogged this from jtotheizzoe and added:
    neat
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  22. peculiarchance reblogged this from dw-t
  23. dw-t reblogged this from jtotheizzoe and added:
    This is just so ever-lovin’ COOL
  24. laurbar reblogged this from jtotheizzoe
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  26. enbandejadeplata reblogged this from jtotheizzoe and added:
    Los ferrofluidos contienen partículas que responden a los campos magnéticos. Esas partículas son tan pequeñas que se...
  27. icarus-suraki reblogged this from tmbird and added:
    I love ferrofluids. An acquaintance of mine uses them to great effect in magic tricks. It’s awesome.

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