What we do in the lab

Many people have asked me what I do in the lab all day. The video below will give you an idea.

The experiment in question concerns a shear-thickening fluid (corn starch solution in this instance). The viscosity increases dramatically when the shear rate is increased. For example, if you dip your hand into a pool of this liquid and wave it around slowly, it might offer the same resistance an oil might. However, if you stamp on it rapidly like in the video, corn starch particles will clump up forming large clusters turning it into a thick paste like uncured concrete.

contact GB for more information on this fantastically non-Newtonian stuff.