Astronomy / Space Ringing out a wet towel on the ISS. What happens?

Oddball · Apr 24, 2013

Hi folks.

Here is something quite amusing.

What do you think will happen to all the water in a wet towel when you try to ring it out on the ISS?

Find out here

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap130424.html

Patrick_68000 · Apr 24, 2013

Oddball said:
Hi folks.

Here is something quite amusing.

What do you think will happen to all the water in a wet towel when you try to ring it out on the ISS?

Find out here

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap130424.html

With Brandy, it achieves the same effect ?

PacalB · Apr 25, 2013

Heheh interesting ... nice one Oddball.

Styggron · Apr 25, 2013

Brilliant !!! I would have thought the washcloth would have unravelled a little.

Frank · Apr 25, 2013

Styggron said:
I would have thought the washcloth would have unravelled a little.

I noticed that too. It can't be anything to do with gravity. It must be due to the fancy ultra-packable nature of the cloth and/or the fact the cloth was still submerged in water.

I shall be wringing out a cloth held under water to see what happens.

synchromesh · Apr 25, 2013

So..How do you actually dry out the cloth ?
In fact....If the water just covers you like that surely washing your face with the cloth would be pointless as well

Selezen · Apr 25, 2013

You rub your face with the cloth, and the pressure between the cloth and your face creates the surface tension to provide CLEANING POWER!

The forcible contact breaks the water's surface tension, you see. Science.

synchromesh · Apr 25, 2013

Selezen said:
You rub your face with the cloth, and the pressure between the cloth and your face creates the surface tension to provide CLEANING POWER!

The forcible contact breaks the water's surface tension, you see. Science.

In theory going by what i saw....it should press away from your face and bulge out over the cloth and your hands....I guess you have to be there to experience it to really work it out.....Weird stuff though

drew · May 28, 2013

That might explain how the siloplastion seats work. In zero-gee, the magic fluid from the chair envelopes you.

Cheers,

Drew.

MikeSnos · May 29, 2013

I couldn't help but wonder how they got rid of the water afterwards... Did they drink it or did they hoover it up with the Urine tubes?