The Lightest Solid on Earth (You won’t believe this exists)<br />Aerogel is the lightest and lowest-density solid in the world. It’s a gel composed of 99.8% air. Looking like frozen smoke, this material is almost as light as air itself. It’s only 1.74 grams.<br /><br />It’s so light that even soap bubbles can lift it. Despite its weight, it can withstand extreme temperatures from -273 degrees Celsius to 650 degrees Celsius and provides a protection against heat unlike anything else on Earth. <br />However, even with a small pressure applied by my finger, the aerogel shatters into thousands of pieces and turns to dust.<br /><br />But what’s surprising is that if I take those aerogel dusts and apply it to any surface, like my body, it becomes 100% hydrophobic. It makes me completely waterproof.<br /><br />On top of that, this dust also forms new non-brittle foam-like aerogel composites, which can be utilized in extreme applications requiring protection.<br />Aerogels can be in different shapes, given that they are 99% air, can you guess the kind of sound would an aerogel make? <br />It’s like an empty can dropping onto a steel surface, very metallic. It’s quite different from what most of you might expect.<br /><br />I’m at the Solarcore facility in Oregon, and I’ll be conducting experiments to test the aerogel’s most incredible properties.<br />#editaloy
