Mixing the Unmixable

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Posted by michael on Thursday February 20, 2003 @10:10AM from the shaken-not-stirred dept.

markthebrewer writes "From an article in the New Scientist: Conventional wisdom every 15 year-old knows says that you can't mix oil and water without some kind of surfactant. However a team lead by Richard Pashley from the Australian National University in Canberra have done it simply by first removing all dissolved gases from the water. Apart from the obvious potential improvements in salad dressings, it could have an impact on the manufacture of everything from drugs to paint - anywhere an emulsion is required. Apparently, it will also give some insight into the mysterious 'long-range hydrophobic effect' (or why oil droplets coalesce over surprisingly long distances)." Keep in mind the usual scientific caveat: this experiment doesn't seem to have been replicated by other experimenters yet.

11 of 254 comments (clear)

Excuse me... by Some+Woman · 2003-02-20 10:12 · Score: 4, Funny

But where are these 15-year olds who know what a surfactant is? :)

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My dingo ate your honor student.
1. Re:Excuse me... by Anonymous Coward · 2003-02-20 10:30 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  "i read the link i no what a surfactant is"
  
  i "no"?
  
  Geeze
2. Re:Excuse me... by Elwood+P+Dowd · 2003-02-20 10:42 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  But where are these 15-year olds who know what a surfactant is? :)
  
  Every single one. What did you do to wash the vasoline off your hands?
  
  --
  
  There are no trails. There are no trees out here.
3. Re:Excuse me... by TGK · 2003-02-20 12:38 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  no way dood lol thats the new im chat english :):):) i luv riting like this!!!!! i do this 4 all my schol papers n like get like a's n stuff. im so cool!!! u just wish u were as cool as me!!! :):):)
  
  I'm married to a teacher. I see papers like that go across her desk. She relishes giving them Zeros. -=I=- relish seeing them get Zeros. It's gut wrenching that we're creating a generation that prides itself on its stupidity.
  
  Before you go off on me, no I didn't spell check this. Spelling Nazis cease and desist. I know I'm a worthless clod who can't spell hippopotomu... hipopto... ah fuck it
  
  --
  Killfile(TGK)
  No trees were killed in the creation of this post. However, many electrons were inconvenienced.
Now I need ... by burgburgburg · 2003-02-20 10:13 · Score: 4, Funny

to adjust my phrasing:
It's like mixing oil and water, assuming that all of the dissolved gases haven't been removed from the water.
Yeah, that rolls off the tongue.
Not replicated by other scientists? by macshune · 2003-02-20 10:13 · Score: 5, Funny

Can we say Pons and Fleischmann salad dressings?
But how will I describe my bad relationships? by robb0995 · 2003-02-20 10:16 · Score: 4, Funny

"Yeah, we were like oil and water without a sulfacant!"
1. Re:But how will I describe my bad relationships? by stratjakt · 2003-02-20 10:41 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  As pointed out in the article, your relationships would work if you removed all gas from your system before trying to mix sexes.
  
  --
  I don't need no instructions to know how to rock!!!!
Of course!!!!! by Picass0 · 2003-02-20 10:22 · Score: 4, Funny

>> "...simply by first removing all dissolved gases from the water."

Ahhh, Once you remove all of the Hydrogen and Oxygen I can see where there would no longer be a problem!!!
Good Eats by esobofh · 2003-02-20 10:23 · Score: 5, Funny

Great, hopefully Alton Brown can make a super mayonnaise emulsion based on this theory - super tasty and smooth on the tongue, now that's Good Eats!

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Esobofh - Currently drinking fresh mango juice.
Re:WTF is going on here? by ifreakshow · 2003-02-20 10:46 · Score: 4, Funny

They discovered it 20 years ago but immediately covered up the knowledge because it could be used to make cars that get 200 miles to the gallon and don't produce greenhouse gasses.