Liquid Material becomes Solid in Magnetic Field

FortKnox writes: "Cool cool stuff, here. This Y! article talks of a substance that can morph between liquid and solid by the presence of a magnetic field. Now this is something you can make into a cool toy!"

Comments

this stuff rocks

[NaturePhotog]

This sounds very cool. I'd heard about for use in shock absorbers. Not for the toy potential (seems like it would be hard to get into toy form), but because of the other possibilities described:

• Braille that can be scrolled and amended as easily as text on a monitor
  
• creating molds that can be reconfigured to manufacture different machine parts in a pinch
  
• stabilizing leg brace for the elderly or disabled
  
• controlling the movement of remote-controlled suits
  
• landing gear that adapt "automatically and instantaneously to the local geo-technical conditions of the landing site"
  
• simulating the resistance of human flesh for VR practice of surgery
  

The weight of magnets is problematic for any space-based applications that have to be launched, but pretty cool earth-bound applications to start with.

Of course, for those who are looking for the pr0n angle:

there's even been a U.S. patent granted for an MR "penile prosthetic."