Oobleck
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Oobleck was originally popularized as a fictional form of green precipitation described by Dr. Seuss in Bartholomew and the Oobleck. Oobleck was called down from the sky by a king bored with rain and snow, but proved so sticky that it gummed up the whole kingdom, which would have perished had not a page boy named Bartholomew saved the day.
The word has since been used to describe a substance that is used as a science aid to teach children about liquids and solids. It's created from corn starch, and though initially it acts like a liquid or a jelly, squeezing it in your hand will make it appear to be a solid for a short time. The substance also behaves in an interesting manner when thrown in the air, molded, or heated. Substances like this that become more viscous when agitated or compressed are called dilatants.
External links
- Oobleck Recipe (http://www.kinderteacher.com/oobleck.htm)
- Oobleck and Glurch (http://sciconn.mcb.arizona.edu/oobleck/oobleck.html)