Self Propelled Liquid Droplets : When a liquid drop is placed (.mov files) on a surface held at a temperature much higher than the liquid’s boiling point it hovers on its own vapor cushion, without wetting the surface.
posted by dhruva on Apr 6, 2006 - 24 comments

The Leidenfrost Effect. It's the reason that water droplets don't instantly evaporate off of a hot plate between 200 and 300 deg C. Another obscure physical phenomenon? Perhaps - except for Jearl Walker, the physicist who uses it for some awesome demonstrations: sticking your hand into molten lead, walking on hot coals and gargling with liquid nitrogen.
posted by GuyZero on Nov 18, 2005 - 30 comments