ConfederacyOfDunces
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https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/153063-graphene-aerogel-is-seven-times-lighter-than-air-can-balance-on-a-blade-of-grass
WTFantastico
Seven times lighter than air? So, what, it needs to be held down? That wouldn't be "balancing on a blade of grass" now would it?
cryogenian
That third shot looks like a bizarre alien ship about to land.
[deleted]
[deleted]
Ireallylikepuzzles
Not me but someone who actually have a life maybe haven't seen it yet so please avoid spoilers for now
PurpleElephantRidingDragonMan
The comments on the article are amazing
Ilike80stuff
Apparently can make lighter, denser batteries with it.
Paasimus
And because it's graphene, it doesn't burn, which in turn makes it a superb heat resistant material.
GooberSnotpants
How expensive/easy to make is graphene?
rureadyboots
You can make grapheme with a graphite pencil and sellotape.
ohgoshgollywhy
I can see some poor idiot eating this, hoping it turns Into a weight loss thing
TheFrenchGirl
I can see some poor idiot reducing it in powder for a so smart idea of him, inhale it$, and die.
ohgoshgollywhy
Guys i just came up with a new weight loss product....
TheFrenchGirl
Like in "you will never eat anything again!" ?
ImSorryThatIWasBornIdentifyingAsTheSexThatIActuallyAm
But is it lighter than the regular clear aerogel?
ComoSeIguana
Wait, so that last picture is NOT a cat?
ticktockbent
If it's 'lighter than air' shouldn't it float away?
toxcrusadr
Pores. If a sponge is full of water, whether it sinks or floats is dependent upon the sponge material only, not the pores full of water.
ticktockbent
So this thing isn't actually lighter than air because it's mostly full of air
toxcrusadr
Apparently!
PascalCasedUserName
That's great and all, but how about we make something useful out of it?
PudgyPinkiePie
We need to make long fibers out of it, which we're working on.
patrickleodesign
The link says "7 times lighter that air", but wouldn't that mean it would float away? Like, easily?
PudgyPinkiePie
Seven times less dense. If you were to purge tje air from its structure and then seal it, it would indeed float.
Peptido
If you could somehow keep the air from saturating its microstructure, then yes.
PudgyPinkiePie
Opposite of how ships float, in this case being full of ait holds them down.
Topi41
That's dense. Not.
DefinitelyMaybeNotSkynet
But what is it good for? Sure it's light, but how strong is it?
PudgyPinkiePie
Extremely. If we were to make an orbital elevator, it would ride on a tape made of graphene.
DefinitelyMaybeNotSkynet
My question is if the thing is porous, how do you keep contaminates or particles from entering the pores and adding weight?
PudgyPinkiePie
*mass. And the amount added is pretty negligible since we're talking about particles.
DefinitelyMaybeNotSkynet
Maybe on a small scale but on large scale it would have an enormous effect on weight, movement, etc.
Mnwall28
What can this be used for?
BisonMooseDuck
This would make for a great material to base a speaker driver out of.
neil137
i tried to buy this so many times. stupid expensive
Seethreepeeoh
I love to see new material in usersub
wildebeestsarepeopletoo
I see what you did there...
mmcg5
Joshwaar
Pressed back when I registered what this said. Came back to upvote
Seethreepeeoh
I am forever in your debt sir
msntlly
Underappreciated comment is underappreciated.
GilligansIslandWasAnInsideJob
SDM09
Sesseth
You sly bastard, you.
gaidinbdj
TongueTiedLabourerfromtheLandoftheLittlePeople
https://media.giphy.com/media/NnGGHE0muVqpO/giphy.gif
ispentwaytoolongthinkingaboutthis
TIL graphene aerogel grows on plants
Dubbaah
This isn't aerogel, this is a toasted marshmallow!
fredbloxx
*burned* toasted marshmallow
SirWadeWilson
If you "toast" your marshmallows this color you might be a monster.
romicra88
You're a monster for not letting the flame fully engulf it to make it super gooey
SirWadeWilson
CliffordJohnsonMiller
That article was made by a retard. It's not 7 times lighter than air if it isn't floating up, dimwit.
Peptido
lol
K1ltu
That would be true if the cavities were a vacuum
arrbos
This observation was interesting by dint of the answer, but I'm downvoting because of the negativity with which it was said.
BeatenBearface
Ladymeowsalot
What is a retard?
toxcrusadr
Not arguing with you but the other day I got yelled at by 4 people for saying 'retard'. Just wanted to share.
W92Baj
That's retarded
toxcrusadr
I will tell them Imgur said that! Should work.
W92Baj
I don't speak for imgur
toxcrusadr
#sarcasm.
CliffordJohnsonMiller
And how heavy it is is dependant on the amount, it's the bloody density that matters. A quick google search will even tell them that!
AMartianPotato
When people, scientists included, talk about how much materials weigh relative to each other they're talking about density.
PudgyPinkiePie
Opposite the principal of how ships work. Metal is denser than water but there's a lot of air, enough to make it float kn water.
PudgyPinkiePie
Punch a couple holes in, water goes in and sinks it.
PudgyPinkiePie
Also *massive. Weight and mass aren't the same thing.
aShogunNamedMarcus
PurityOfEssence
I'll solve it for you. Air is around 1292 grams per m^3, this material is 160 g/m^3. So yes it is lighter than air. But all the pores in..
PurityOfEssence
..this material are filled with air...hence why it doesn't just float up. The material itself is indeed lighter than air.
PurityOfEssence
But with the added weight of the air in the material, it is not light enough to be a mini charcoal balloon.
SherMattLockSmith
Ok, in a vacuum the graphene aerogel has a density of 0.16 milligrams per cubic centimeter, at standard conditions 1 cc of air is (1)
SherMattLockSmith
(2) 1.185 milligrams. When removed from a vacuum, air infiltrates the aerogel meaning it will not float away as it is not a sealed container
SherMattLockSmith
If you could place it in a vacuum, seal the outside without adding any weight, then remove it without the air pressure collapsing it 1/2
iWantATurtle
Informative, polite, well mannered. Will you marry me?
Jollottaja
A good suggestion, however, if I may, I would urge you to reconsider, as he is in fact not a turtle.
SherMattLockSmith
2/2 Then it would indeed float.
xizar
Would they float down there?
BeatenBearface
ABCDEFGevolved
SCHOOLED! Thank you. Very informative.
SippinPetrol
NotJimi
Thanks for this explanation, I was wondering why it wasn't floating too. As soon as you mentioned how porous it was it made sense.
ElioNope
So wait is it compressed in the above pictures (thus more dense than air) or what? Less dense mixed with equal dense averages to less still.