One of the coolest things you will ever see..

[Darkflame]

Watch this video:
http://cosmos.hc.uec.ac.jp/protrudef...mv/profloD.wmv


Its actualy video of a ferrofluid. I could go into a boring science explanation, but heres a simple one:
Think of Liquid Iron Fillings + Electromagnets

Now, If only they could make them solid on request. Maybe with liquid crystals.....hmm..


More here:
http://www.99express.com/posts/ferro...sculptures.htm

[Atresica]

That was really weird, and slightly creepy too

[hobmoblin]

Freaky as fuck.

[Twinsal]

That was beautiful.

[ChaosFish]

I don't get it.

[Darkflame]

whats to get?

just watch.

Its a liquid that changes into all sorts of weird shapes when manipulated by magnetic fields.

[the_angry_monkey]

bitchin' (to use a well known phrase) roll on true life gaming

[SebZ]

Wow. Don't get me wrong, but that was beautiful! Amazing.

[Assassin]

That's really cool stuff! Kind of reminded me of Pikmin monsters ^^;

Anyway this video is cool aswell: Magic Sand

[wacko]

Neat visuals. I guess you'd need a pretty strong magnetic force to make this work?

[Darkflame]

well, it dosnt take much to move iron-fillings.

I guese this fluid is more heavy though, and moveing a lot of it would take a strong field.

Anyway this video is cool aswell: Magic Sand

O_O

[wacko]

Originally Posted by Darkflame

well, it dosnt take much to move iron-fillings.

I know, it's fun to play with iron filings on a plate with a magnet underneath.
But yeah, I meant that moving a decent amount of liquid against gravital forces probably requires something more powerful than your average little toy magnet.

[Darkflame]

What I never understood about iron-fillings is why it forms distinctive rings/ridges.

In school you are taught these are "field lines", but thats kinda bollocks as field lines are just a concept. Magatism dosnt just fall off in between the lines does it?
I mean gravational field lines dont mean will all gather in clusters in different areas of the eath

[wacko]

I guess it's comparable to ripples, with +/-/+/-/etc fields shaped like the lines you see.

This picture would explain that visually pretty well:



As opposed to this (classic textbook) one:

[Darkflame]

But it still dosnt explain it really...it shows the result clearly, but not what actualy cause's it.
eg.
If you put a small compass neddle in between the field lines..what happens?
Does it point with the lines? Or does it point perpendicular? Or is it a null point?
and why dosnt that happen on the earth?

Theres nothing I have read in physics that says magnatism has "gaps". As far as I know, its like gravity..it radiants outwards/inwards evenly.

So therefor surely the field lines we see arnt really magnetic field lines...but more something to do with the way iron fillings behave, each acting as mini magnets.
Heres an expirement that might varify it:
Do the same field lines form each time iron fillings are dropped? Or does their exact position vary. (for instance, the pretty picture at the top could be inverted)