Ferrolic • Hacker News Board

Re: Ferrolic

#41

Post by spot » Thu, Aug 13, 2015, 4:12 PM UTC

koko775 wrote: post #38

codeshaman wrote: post #36

At first I thought 'this is so cool' , but then after thinking about it for a while, I realised that it's no cooler than any of the 200 videos or pictures with 'cool stuff' that I see every day. I think it's a pretty useless expensive gimmick created out of toxic materials to excite the numb neurons of the bored inhabitants of the digital realm for 2 minutes or so. Then we'll all forget about it and move on to the ne…

That's certainly an elaborate way of calling it art.

you have never seen good art?

Re: Ferrolic

#42

Post by jvandonsel » Thu, Aug 13, 2015, 4:12 PM UTC

Almost as good (and cheaper and longer lasting) would be a nice JS tool to render text in a "Ferrolic" font, with dripping, re-forming, etc.

Maybe this will be my next weekend project.

Re: Ferrolic

#43

Post by GuiA » Thu, Aug 13, 2015, 4:13 PM UTC

codeshaman wrote: post #36

At first I thought 'this is so cool' , but then after thinking about it for a while, I realised that it's no cooler than any of the 200 videos or pictures with 'cool stuff' that I see every day. I think it's a pretty useless expensive gimmick created out of toxic materials to excite the numb neurons of the bored inhabitants of the digital realm for 2 minutes or so. Then we'll all forget about it and move on to the ne…

The problem with reductio ad nihilum arguments like this one is that you can make them about absolutely everything and anything in life. It's a slippery slope.

Re: Ferrolic

#44

Post by otis_inf » Thu, Aug 13, 2015, 4:45 PM UTC

Modern day Lava Lamp. Very nice!

Re: Ferrolic

#45

Post by rebootthesystem » Thu, Aug 13, 2015, 4:57 PM UTC

10 years ago:

http://www.freymartin.de/en/projects/snoil

Date unknown:

http://www.hawaiilibrary.net/articles/Ferro_Liquid_Display

Re: Ferrolic

#46

Post by joshontheweb » Thu, Aug 13, 2015, 5:10 PM UTC

If you have seen Ridley Scott's Prometheus, this might be a bit unsettling to have in your home. Last thing I need is a Xenomorph running around the house!

Re: Ferrolic

#47

Post by bro-stick » Thu, Aug 13, 2015, 5:13 PM UTC

joshontheweb wrote: post #46

If you have seen Ridley Scott's Prometheus, this might be a bit unsettling to have in your home. Last thing I need is a Xenomorph running around the house!

Yup. Our house already has two little nightmares running around.

Re: Ferrolic

#48

Post by bro-stick » Thu, Aug 13, 2015, 5:18 PM UTC

tomwphillips wrote: post #18

Kenji wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder why that is. Given that the container is sealed properly, and they use electronics with magnets, I just don't see any part that is subject to such massive wear. EDIT: Thanks, jpatokal, that cleared things up.

Ferrofluids are magnetic nanoparticles, usually iron oxide, with small molecules called surfactants stuck to their surface. These stop the nanoparticles aggregating. Eventually the surfactants themselves will come off, causing aggregation. Lumps of iron oxide precipitate out of the liquid and sink to the bottom. No doubt better surfactants will be developed that take a very long time to degrade.

Makes one wonder about the usable lifetime of such an art piece.

Re: Ferrolic

#49

Post by bro-stick » Thu, Aug 13, 2015, 5:19 PM UTC

linkydinkandyou wrote: post #28

This is very beautiful. The clock is probably the "killer app" for this. It would also keep the cats amused; like watching a fishtank for them.

Or Pebble Watch, Xenomorph edition.

(It might eat a cat or two.)

Re: Ferrolic

#50

Post by bro-stick » Thu, Aug 13, 2015, 5:25 PM UTC

jpatokal wrote: post #17

drinchev wrote: post #4

Seeing this, I just can't stop thinking of why they choose to create an entertaining device and if this fluid has any practical applications.

Because that's been done and there are plenty -- your hard drive probably contains some! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrofluid#Applications

Passive cooling of a speaker's voice coil is pretty neat.