non-Newtonian Liquid: Fun to use! Easy to make!

I found a video on youtube and honestly I had never heard of non-Newtonian fluids. I am sure that I one of the few people who never experienced making it in a high school chemistry class. We made ice cream, drop eggs from roofs, and even blew up a miniature of the Hindenburg, but never made this fun liquid. I actually find it really interesting, the fact that with enough of it you can walk and jump on it, but if you stopped moving you sink. So I decided to find out how to make it, but first I wanted to really understand what it is.
A non-Newtonian Fluid is a fluid in which the viscosity changes with the applied strain rate. As a result, non-Newtonian fluids may not have a well-defined viscosity. So if you suddenly poked this fluid it would react more like a solid. On the other hand if you slowly slid your finger through, it will react as a liquid. However if you were to jerk it out it would begin acting like a solid again. See it's really cool.
This is what you need to make it.

1. Corn Starch (About as much water as you are using)
2. Water
3. Some type of Container, I suggest a bath tub for the most fun. Just remember cleaning it up may not be easy.
4. Stirring rod (or anything to stir with)

How to make it? Simply poor some water in to the corn starch and stir it. You want about equal amounts of both. Finally, I know long process huh, stir it. Your done. When you make some be sure and post about your experience with this. I especially would like to see someone fill their tub with it. So let me know.

Here the video! Looks fun, right?

-RIGHTTTT

Just Do It!

Simply Amazing: Boston Dynamics Big Dog Quadruped Robot!

Above is a video I found trolling youtube. I think your going to be impressed. This is a video of Boston Dynamics's, quadruped robot. Personally I think it makes Asimo look like a slightly slow child, but to be fair I think that's what Honda was going for, a first step in human robotics. Anyway the first 30 seconds or so are a bit slow. I thought it was a hoax of some type because how many times do you see state of the art robotics walking around the woods and up hill at that... But when its on flat ground in the parking lot it seemed more believable. Then a guy comes out of nowhere kicks it(jump kick) as hard as he could. It stayed on all fours. I thought it was fake again. Then it was slipping on ice.. Fake! Then running and jumping through a laboratory course I was simply AMAZED! I cant wait to get one. Sign me up. I'm riding my oversize quadruped Yorkie to work from now on. I wonder how many horse power these things are going to have.
But on a more serious note. Boston Dynamics has created a biologically moving quadruped. You saw it. It's called BigDog. Don't get too excited though, BigDog is funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. So it's really unlikely that you will see it on the common market anytime soon.
On another note, I attempted to go to Boston Dynamics website and waited for about 25 minutes(and I have 6mb comcast cable Internet) while I wrote this(just an attempt to give you more information). I don't know how long this video has been out there but if it's new. Their site may be overrun with web surfers. Hopefully this will not slow production. Anyway the link is all over the article take a look let me know if you get through.

Wiki had a little about it. BigDog is specifically being created as a pack mule for terrain where wheeled vehicles don't do so hot. It was created in 2005, and as far as I know it is not ready for deployment.

Bigdog Facts:

• It can cover difficult terrain at 3.3mph
• It can climb a 35 degree incline.
• It can carry up to 120 lbs in these conditions.
• It is about the size of a small mule.

-RIGHTTTT

Just Do It!