Aerogel
- March 26, 2004
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The above picture looks fake, doesn’t it? It’s not. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has come up with an amazing substance called Aerogel. It’s a solid substance, but almost as light as air. It has been recognized by the Guiness Book of World Records as the lightest solid.
Some quick facts about Aerogel:
- It’s 99.8% Air
- Provides 39 times more insulating than the best fiberglass insulation
- Is 1,000 times less dense than glass
It’s been used on both the Mars Pathfinder rover and on the Stardust spacecraft that flew into a comet’s tail to collect samples.
If you follow the link above, make sure to check out the pictures. It’s truly some amazing stuff.
via Boing Boing