Science Porn

[Dropship]

At a guess I'd say it's simply surface tension that's holding it together.

The normal surface tension of water is well known not to be enough for this stunt.

Okay let's factor in "capillary attraction"; I know that's not directly involved in the 'bridge', but maybe some of its underlying principles play a part somewhere?

[vorlon13]

There is a tremendous electrical current flowing thru that 'water bridge'. Kill the power and it collapses.

[Dropship]

There is a tremendous electrical current flowing thru that 'water bridge'.  Kill the power and it collapses.

That's a good explanation, the current would seem to be acting like a "spine" to keep the drop rigid..

[pocaracas]

There is a tremendous electrical current flowing thru that 'water bridge'.  Kill the power and it collapses.

That's a good explanation, the current would seem to be acting like a "spine" to keep the drop rigid..

The current is forcing the water molecules to align their polarization, thus causing their bond to be much stronger than the normal randomly distributed hydrogen bonds.

[vorlon13]

Do NOT stick your finger in it

[vorlon13]

Here's the occultation diagram of MU69.

The red circles are just drawn on, a variety of oblong shapes would produce the observed pattern of light interruptions.

[Anomalocaris]

That's a good explanation, the current would seem to be acting like a "spine" to keep the drop rigid..

The current is forcing the water molecules to align their polarization, thus causing their bond to be much stronger than the normal randomly distributed hydrogen bonds.

Really?   If you put a powerful current through a body of deionized water, does the water's viscosity change?

[pocaracas]

The current is forcing the water molecules to align their polarization, thus causing their bond to be much stronger than the normal randomly distributed hydrogen bonds.

Really?   If you put a powerful current through a body of deionized water, does the water's viscosity change?

That's what's happening in that video, right?

[Anomalocaris]

Really?   If you put a powerful current through a body of deionized water, does the water's viscosity change?

That's what's happening in that video, right?

I am just thinking, there has got to be an application for this if this effect is real, where you can modify the viscosity of a fluid of polar molecules on demand.

[vorlon13]

It works on air too.


A pipe with vacuum in it can have an electrical 'shield' at one end and it can withstand atmospheric pressure.