Space and Physics
PUBLISHED
As with many great scientific breakthroughs, this discovery started with one question: “What if…?”
The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.Hydrogel balls are little spheres of water-absorbing polymers that can suck up hundreds of times their weight in water. Usually, they’re used in gardening and landscaping to absorb excess water – but not if you’re a super-curious amateur scientist with no regard for your personal safety.
It turns out, hydrogel balls in a heated frying pan creates a pretty strange reaction.
And it's probably best if you don’t try this at home (even if you do have this high-tech equipment at hand).
