Frozen Smoke

[The Pashing Smumpkin]

Miracle material 'could shape next century'
Wednesday Aug 22 19:00 AEST
By Sean Cusick
ninemsn

It's almost as light as air, yet it can withstand a direct dynamite blast.

And while it looks like frozen smoke, it can withstand a direct blowtorch flame of over 1300 degrees.

Its name is aerogel, and although it was discovered over 75 years ago, it may just be the material that will shape the next century.




Aerogel is the product of a lab bet in 1931, where a scientist was dared to remove the liquid from a gel and replace it with gas.

Chemist Steven Kistler removed the liquid from the gel by heating it, then replaced it with methanol.

The end result? "Aerojelly", which is a transparent ice-like material that feels like Styrofoam but possesses some unique qualities that scientists are only now utilising.

After decades of tinkering with the formula, scientists now believe that in its current form, aerogel could to be used for such wide-ranging purposes as extreme spacesuit insulation, super-strong bomb protection and even feather-light tennis racquets.

Environmentalists should be equally as excited — as aerogel's amazing absorbing capabilities mean it could be used to clean oil spills and remove other pollutants from water.

Despite the long-standing scientific wonder surrounding aerogel, it wasn't until ten years ago that NASA threw its resources into studying the quirky material.

The agency's 1999 Stardust space probe featured a mitt full of aerogel, which collected dust from a comet's tail as it wizzed by.

NASA's scientists have since created an even stronger and more flexible version of the material, with which they plan to insulate space suits used on the first manned mission to Mars — scheduled in just 11 years time.

http://optuszoo.news.ninemsn.com.au/...es&_cobr=optus

[duovamp]

First.

[Mo]

Paddy had been drinking at his local Dublin pub all day and Most of the night celebrating St. Patrick's Day.
Mick, the bartender says, " You'll not be drinking anymore tonight Paddy."
Paddy replies, "OK Mick, I'll be on my way then."
Paddy spins around on his stool and steps off. He falls flat on his face.
"Shoite" he says and pulls himself up by the stool and dusts himself off. He takes a step towards the door and falls flat on his face,
"Shoite, Shoite!"
He looks to the doorway and thinks to himself that if he can just get to the door and some fresh air he'll be fine. He belly crawls to the door and shimmies up to the door frame. He sticks his head outside and takes a deep breath of fresh air, feels much better and takes a step out onto the sidewalk and falls flat on his face.
"Bi'Jesus..I'm fockin' focked," he says.
He can see his house just a few doors down, and crawls to the door, hauls himself up the door frame, opens the door and shimmies inside.
He takes a look up the stairs and says "No fockin' way".
He crawls up the stairs to his bedroom door and says "I can make it to the bed."
He takes a step into the room and falls flat on his face.
He says "Fock it" and falls into bed.
The next morning, his wife, Jess, comes into the room carrying a cup of coffee and says, "Get up Paddy. Did you have a bit to drink last night?" Paddy says.
"I did Jess. I was fockin' pissed. But how'd you know?"
"Mick phoned...You left your wheelchair at the pub."

[The Jesus]

crazy

[Skradgee]

I totally freeze Smoke all the time in Mortal Kombat.

Sub Zero ice blast: D F + LP ftw.

[The Pashing Smumpkin]

Originally Posted by Skradgee

I totally freeze Smoke all the time in Mortal Kombat.

Sub Zero ice blast: D F + LP ftw.

Scorpion is the shit.

[???]

no way, the green dude is better. whats his name? lizard?

[waltermcphilp]

reptile.

[Caine Walker]

haha, "lizard"...

[waltermcphilp]

i am the lizard. tremble before me.



http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/6562/treptilmd5.gif