Oobleck
From Free net encyclopedia
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. It proved so sticky that it gummed up the whole kingdom, which would have perished had not a page boy named Bartholomew Cubbins (previously renowned for his prolifically reproducing hats) 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 cornstarch (1 parts water to 1.5–2 parts cornstarch). 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 slime-like substance also behaves in an interesting manner when thrown in the air, molded, heated, or vibrated. Substances like this that become more viscous when agitated or compressed are a subset of non-Newtonian fluids called dilatants. An interesting comparison can be made between different "slimes" by making a batch of glurch and comparing the physical properties of oobleck and glurch.
In the mid-1980s a Chicago theater company was formed under the name Theater Oobleck[1], deriving its name from the Seuss book. It continues to produce new work to this day.