Chemists have developed a silicone-based super-hydrophobic spray and thus, man triumphs over chocolate syrup.
NeverWet, which is available as both a spray and a paint, coats objects and makes them super-hydrophobic, causing water and heavy oils to simply slide off. What’s the practical application of this? Well if the video on the right is to be believed you can use it to make your keds completely and utterly resistant to chocolate syrup. Finally.
Hydrophobia is not, as some games would have you believe, a fear of water, it’s actually a term used to describe a surface that is extremely difficult to get wet due to the Lotus effect. Oh, and rabies.
The NeverWet spray was originally developed by Ross Nanotechnology to reduce corrosion on steel girders, but it has numerous less industrial uses, and I’m not just talking about chocolate-proof shoes. According to project founder Andy Jones, his own NeverWet-coated iPhone was submerged water for 30 minutes and worked perfectly afterwards. To me, however, the mustard-proof shirt seems like the answer to all of life’s problems. Now if only they’d develop something to keep the Cheeto dust off of my trousers.
