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General Science => General Science => Topic started by: neilep on 10/05/2007 22:04:26

Title: ..." and the winner of the most absorbent things is..............."
Post by: neilep on 10/05/2007 22:04:26
Hi Everybody Peeps,


This is a sponge :

(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.inkycircus.com%2Fjargon%2Fimages%2Fsponge.jpg&hash=193075d5d503fb59ae5a0dcf88783882)

Nice isn't it ?



Sponges are great...they are my all time favorite absorbent type retaining of water thing,

Sponges are so good at what they do that we even make fake ones !..because I don't think that many people know that real sponges are animal things !

But where does a sponge come in the top 5 list of absorbency retention ?

Can you tell me what the most liquid absorbing thing is and how absorbent it is ?





Title: ..." and the winner of the most absorbent things is..............."
Post by: Batroost on 10/05/2007 22:30:17
How about concentrated Sulphuric Acid?

Not only does it love water - but it gets boiling hot in the process! In fact it has such a strong affinity for water that it will strip water molecules out of other molecules such as starches.

Won't take too much though. Once it's diluted enough it stops caring.  [:-'(]
Title: ..." and the winner of the most absorbent things is..............."
Post by: lightarrow on 10/05/2007 23:04:55
P4O10 (phosphoric anhydride) is better.
Title: ..." and the winner of the most absorbent things is..............."
Post by: ukmicky on 11/05/2007 00:00:59
Got to be your average BRAIN ,think about how much imformation they can absorb and they can do it for over a hundred years.In ten years your sponge will be turning into dust.:)
Title: ..." and the winner of the most absorbent things is..............."
Post by: paul.fr on 11/05/2007 00:08:02
Got to be your average BRAIN ,think about how much imformation they can absorb and they can do it for over a hundred years.In ten years your sponge will be turning into dust.:)

Perhaps you are both right (micky and neil), afterall the brain is like a sponge....so they say.
Title: ..." and the winner of the most absorbent things is..............."
Post by: neilep on 11/05/2007 00:14:17
How about concentrated Sulphuric Acid?

Not only does it love water - but it gets boiling hot in the process! In fact it has such a strong affinity for water that it will strip water molecules out of other molecules such as starches.

Won't take too much though. Once it's diluted enough it stops caring.  [:-'(]

WOW !!.THANK YOU BATMAN !!...Sulphuric acid really likes water !!........so, If I was able to enjoy a Sulphuric Acid Cocktail...what could I use to cool it down ?...and don't forget the little umbrella thingy too !!
Title: ..." and the winner of the most absorbent things is..............."
Post by: neilep on 11/05/2007 00:15:14
P4O10 (phosphoric anhydride) is better.

Wooo !!...I don't know what it is...but it has numbers and stuff and this impresses me..THANK YOU Alberto !
Title: ..." and the winner of the most absorbent things is..............."
Post by: neilep on 11/05/2007 00:17:57
Got to be your average BRAIN ,think about how much imformation they can absorb and they can do it for over a hundred years.In ten years your sponge will be turning into dust.:)

EXCELLENT answer....(of course....it's a slant on what I was asking)........I hope  for one day , that my brain will  actually start to absorb information !!...THANK YOU MICHAEL!!
Title: ..." and the winner of the most absorbent things is..............."
Post by: neilep on 11/05/2007 00:19:15
Got to be your average BRAIN ,think about how much imformation they can absorb and they can do it for over a hundred years.In ten years your sponge will be turning into dust.:)

Perhaps you are both right (micky and neil), afterall the brain is like a sponge....so they say.


I wonder if a dried out brain would actually make a good sponge !!....I'm in noi hurry to empirically find that out !
Title: ..." and the winner of the most absorbent things is..............."
Post by: JimBob on 11/05/2007 21:00:02
In the US they are selling a towel-like material that is supposed to absorb (25x?) as much as a sponge. They have this LOUD salesman talking about it so I sure it out if it comes on one of the programs I am watching. Next time it comes on again I'll write it down and post it.
Title: ..." and the winner of the most absorbent things is..............."
Post by: neilep on 11/05/2007 23:44:59
In the US they are selling a towel-like material that is supposed to absorb (25x?) as much as a sponge. They have this LOUD salesman talking about it so I sure it out if it comes on one of the programs I am watching. Next time it comes on again I'll write it down and post it.

Thanks Jimmy Boy....I look forward to some loud mouthed hard selling super absorbent selling info !
Title: ..." and the winner of the most absorbent things is..............."
Post by: Karen W. on 12/05/2007 04:35:29
Got to be your average BRAIN ,think about how much imformation they can absorb and they can do it for over a hundred years.In ten years your sponge will be turning into dust.:)

Perhaps you are both right (micky and neil), afterall the brain is like a sponge....so they say.


I wonder if a dried out brain would actually make a good sponge !!....I'm in noi hurry to empirically find that out !

No worries I'll donate mine.. it dried out years ago !LOL
Title: ..." and the winner of the most absorbent things is..............."
Post by: kdlynn on 12/05/2007 04:42:07
there will be no brain donation!
Title: ..." and the winner of the most absorbent things is..............."
Post by: neilep on 12/05/2007 04:43:20
there will be no brain donation!

Certainly not by me !!...haven't got one to donate !! *smiles*
Title: ..." and the winner of the most absorbent things is..............."
Post by: kdlynn on 12/05/2007 04:45:16
well you could always donate your daughter's... in the name of science of course..... just kidding
Title: ..." and the winner of the most absorbent things is..............."
Post by: neilep on 12/05/2007 04:46:49
well you could always donate your daughter's... in the name of science of course..... just kidding

LOL...I know ewe're joking....and me is pleased ewe know I am too !
Title: ..." and the winner of the most absorbent things is..............."
Post by: kdlynn on 12/05/2007 04:48:50
yes but after i said it i thought perhaps a new person would come along and be scared off because i suggested that you see how absorbant your daughter's brain was... lol
Title: ..." and the winner of the most absorbent things is..............."
Post by: Karen W. on 12/05/2007 04:52:01
there will be no brain donation!

WHAT??? you don't like me brain Kadie?? LOL
Title: ..." and the winner of the most absorbent things is..............."
Post by: Karen W. on 12/05/2007 04:54:11
there will be no brain donation!

Certainly not by me !!...haven't got one to donate !! *smiles*

OH now now.. You have quite a witty brain.. LOL i wouldn't have to be so quick to donate mine If I had yours Kind sir! LOL Hee hee! I might even be able to catch on to some of the odd jokes that fly past me head at light speed!
Title: ..." and the winner of the most absorbent things is..............."
Post by: kdlynn on 12/05/2007 04:54:21
i have nothing against your brain. i think it's wonderful. i'm just thinking live brain donation is a bad idea
Title: ..." and the winner of the most absorbent things is..............."
Post by: Karen W. on 12/05/2007 04:55:38
H*LL That's the problem, it's not alive >>LOL HEE HEE HEE!
Title: ..." and the winner of the most absorbent things is..............."
Post by: lightarrow on 12/05/2007 08:31:08
In the US they are selling a towel-like material that is supposed to absorb (25x?) as much as a sponge. They have this LOUD salesman talking about it so I sure it out if it comes on one of the programs I am watching. Next time it comes on again I'll write it down and post it.
Yes, there also exists toys (a friend of me bought a little crocodile) made of cellulose, which absorbs a great amount of water becoming much bigger! I don't remember how much, maybe more than 100 times the initial weight.
She put that little crocodile (~10 cm) in the bath tube and after some hours it became half a metre!
Title: ..." and the winner of the most absorbent things is..............."
Post by: kdlynn on 12/05/2007 11:44:43
oh yes we sell those at work. they say they get to be six hundred times their original size
Title: ..." and the winner of the most absorbent things is..............."
Post by: Seany on 12/05/2007 12:39:24
Now the more interesting thing.. What DO you do at work? [;)]
Title: ..." and the winner of the most absorbent things is..............."
Post by: Bored chemist on 12/05/2007 20:36:35
IIRC human brains are very fatty so I suspect they would make lousy sponges.
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Cockpit/8107/superabsorbe.html
gives lots of stuff about absorbant materials
Title: ..." and the winner of the most absorbent things is..............."
Post by: kdlynn on 13/05/2007 04:53:45
i'm a manager/supervisory person at a store
Title: ..." and the winner of the most absorbent things is..............."
Post by: Karen W. on 13/05/2007 06:42:42
Yes And she loves her job!
Title: ..." and the winner of the most absorbent things is..............."
Post by: Karen W. on 13/05/2007 06:52:01
IIRC human brains are very fatty so I suspect they would make lousy sponges.
http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Cockpit/8107/superabsorbe.html
gives lots of stuff about absorbant materials

Cool site Bored chemist! Nice music.. Love, love will keep us together, think of me babe, whenever some sweet talking with mysterious eyes . just STOP cause I really love you ! Stop I'll be thinking of you .....