A 2-mL “puddle” of water spontaneously jumps from a hydrophobic surface upon release into a freefall. Credit: Weislogel
Droplets in space can grow freakishly large and bounce off nonwetting surfaces in truly unearthly ways. Astronauts frequently encounter huge droplets, and Scott Kelly recently demonstrated their unusual behavior aboard the International Space Station (ISS) via water balls and a hydrophobic ping pong paddle. To explore the dynamics of these gigantic droplets, a group of researchers led by Mark Weislogel, a professor within the Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering at Portland State University in Oregon, is generating and studying them right here on Earth.
How, you ask? They simply form a puddle on a flat nonwetting surface and drop it 6 stories in a “tower drop...
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