Non-newtonian fluids!

So when you were younger, did you ever play with a non-Newtonian fluid?

I remember our enrichment teacher having us make 'magic mud', which was a mixture of cornstarch, water and food colouring. What was really cool, is that it hardened into a thick solid when you squeezed it, but relaxed into a fluid when the pressure was off.

Yup, that's a non-Newtonian fluid for you - something that changes hardness in relation to pressure. Now imagine filling whole pool with a non-Newtonian fluid. You can run right across the surface, but if you stop for even a moment you sink right in. This video, showing just that, is pretty f'ing cool.



Cool practical applications include the material d30, used in the suits worn by Canadian and American alpine skiiers in this past Olympic games. It is totally flexible, but hardens into armour upon impact, protecting these guys like only a futuristic mind-blowing fabric can.

On another note, could non-Newtonian fluid technology be behind the remarkable properties exhibited by the T1000?


If only John Connor had known...