Corkscrew Cups Could Keep Space Drinks Flowing

holy_calamity writes "A Canadian chemical engineer has a novel solution to containing liquids in space. He has been experimenting with corkscrews of ribbon-like material that keep liquids suspended in their center while in microgravity. This effect is caused by the surface tension of the liquids. The helical containers allow the fluid to be sucked out of the coil in one go. In more conventional shapes, such as coffee cups, interaction between the container and the liquid's internal pressure makes the beverage break into annoying globules you have to chase with a straw."

Re:Would you need a screw shaped cork for wine?

[spyder913]

And also begs the question...
No, it raises the question. =P

Re:I'm interested in how they simulated microgravi

[LaskoVortex]

Surface tension arises from cohesion and not adhesion. The two types of liquids were probably chosen such that the cohesive forces in the experiment were similar to that for water in air. Adhesive forces may exist between the liquids, but should not affect the experiment. Cohesive forces can be calculated by measuring the angle of the meniscus (if the adhesive forces between the liquid and its container are known).

Re:Even better.

[Carnildo]

Why not just suck water out of a sponge? This is twice as good as a silly straw (aka "corckscrew cup") because you could use it to clean up spills as well as prevent them.

Bacteria love sponges. All that surface area means they'll hold water for a long time, and it's impossible to clean them properly.

Re:Capri Sun

[CriX]

No, it wouldn't... that's what TF problem is all about. In micro gravity your capri sun juice would globulize inside the container and your straw would be sucking air and juice intermittently. On Earth gravity ensures that the heavier liquid stays in contact with your straw entrance. Also, this problem isn't as relevant to humans drinking efficiently as it is to mechanical systems that need to transfer fluid around effectively in a micro gravity environment.

Re:Capri Sun

[Anonymous Coward]

Hmmm... I don't think you get it. These Capri Sun juices [google.com] come in containers that collapse as you suck the juice out of them. So, as long as no air enters through the interface between the straw and the package (easy to implement) or through the straw itself (probably harder), the situation you mention would not happen.

Re:Even better.

[Takichi]

Two minutes of microwaving on full power mode killed or inactivated more than 99 percent of all the living pathogens in the sponges and pads...

Microwave oven can sterilize sponges, scrub pads [ufl.edu]

Re:Would you need a screw shaped cork for wine?

[necrostopheles]

First, read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begging_the_question#Modern_usage_controversy [wikipedia.org]
Then follow the link to the article on linguistic prescription and description.

Personally, my skin crawls whenever someone uses "begging the question" in it's so-called modern sense, but I think that describing an argument as 'circular' is more aesthetically pleasing. So I'm inclined to let the masses beg their questions.

Re:Would you need a screw shaped cork for wine?

[The One and Only]

The singular usage of "they" is attested all the way back to Shakespearean times (in fact, to Shakespeare himself) and has no negative consequences to the language as a whole. The issue here is not that some of us accept that language changes and others don't. The issue here is that some of us prefer to see language be used as eloquently and articulately as possible. Using "raises the question" instead of "begs the question" when one isn't referring to the logical fallacy maintains precision and avoids ambiguity. Similarly, using "they" to refer to a singular person of indeterminate gender is far more elegant than awkward constructions such as "s/he", "he/she", "(s)he", and so forth, while avoiding the ambiguity and gender bias of using "he".

Re:In other words ...

[Bazer]

No. The solution is to keep the liquid between the inner walls of a helical structure. Picture from the article [newscientist.com].