Post Ai2wRRXjdvrCq2FgFE by mickeymarse@social.gfsc.studio
 (DIR) More posts by mickeymarse@social.gfsc.studio
 (DIR) Post #Ai2vNEPeQ5Gt0DtlE8 by futurebird@sauropods.win
       2024-05-19T10:27:24Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       I bought some pink sand for my ants but it’s strangely hydrophobic? It *is* very fine sand and it will become saturated if stirred vigorously - but why does it trap air like this? isn’t this odd?
       
 (DIR) Post #Ai2vc8vr4w3YLg4Whs by glennsills@dotnet.social
       2024-05-19T10:30:05Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @futurebird Is it microplastic instead of sand?
       
 (DIR) Post #Ai2vkYeBM45CQ1omdE by futurebird@sauropods.win
       2024-05-19T10:31:28Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @glennsills I don't think so. It won't melt or burn.
       
 (DIR) Post #Ai2wRRXjdvrCq2FgFE by mickeymarse@social.gfsc.studio
       2024-05-19T10:39:23Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @futurebird No idea, but I believe it looks beautiful!Is there anywhere where I could see your ants?
       
 (DIR) Post #Ai2x4bVYWmmz2NuDwG by Kierkegaanks@beige.party
       2024-05-19T10:46:24Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @futurebird prooooobably coated with something hydrophobic like some type of oil to act like that? The only commercial sand i know of that is designed like that is
       
 (DIR) Post #Ai2y3WhB2FJPmBOKvo by futurebird@sauropods.win
       2024-05-19T10:57:28Z
       
       0 likes, 1 repeats
       
       @mickeymarse And I'm one of only a few who uses these tags:https://sauropods.win/tags/antvideohttps://sauropods.win/tags/namedants
       
 (DIR) Post #Ai2ypih9iwiEtOMVjk by DamonWakes@mastodon.sdf.org
       2024-05-19T11:05:41Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @futurebird There was an episode of Q.I. where Stephen Fry had some sand treated with Scotchgard that behaved just like that.
       
 (DIR) Post #Ai3b2CWuQBq79kwp6G by seborn9000@metasocial.com
       2024-05-19T18:14:11Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @futurebird Looks like moon sand / magic sandhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrophobic_sand
       
 (DIR) Post #Ai3cVxFDuqzsOLQWrg by mickeymarse@social.gfsc.studio
       2024-05-19T18:30:32Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @futurebird Oh, wow, they are big!Thanks for sharing. :)
       
 (DIR) Post #Ai3g01iU9a4YoM93J2 by hattifattener@wandering.shop
       2024-05-19T19:09:45Z
       
       0 likes, 1 repeats
       
       @futurebird I've seen this effect even with sand from natural places (not to mention occasionally dry potting soil, rice, etc). My uneducated guess is it happens when there is some very fine dust mixed with the sand, it keeps the water from wetting the sand grains.
       
 (DIR) Post #Ai3gP0okdITPGLzQcy by ELS@sfba.social
       2024-05-19T19:14:16Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @futurebird A lot of sheet flow happens when it rains hard on our local sand dunes, when they are dry, suggesting that the sand is somewhat hydrophobic.
       
 (DIR) Post #Ai3hG6tAn43jRNNRZ2 by promovicz@chaos.social
       2024-05-19T19:23:11Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @futurebird It seems a bit like a floating ant colony. Or I could imagine ants that colonize those patties?
       
 (DIR) Post #Ai3khA1jWySmr1yIHA by stevegis_ssg@mas.to
       2024-05-19T20:02:24Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @futurebird I suspect that forcing out the air between the grains would require more energy (to break the surface tension of the water) than the wetting energy of the sand. You see this effect even with flour, which is a tremendously hydrophilic mixture of starch and protein.
       
 (DIR) Post #Ai56Bn94wio53qoYOO by gooba42@mastodon.social
       2024-05-20T11:38:01Z
       
       0 likes, 0 repeats
       
       @futurebird It's behaving like "moon sand" but I don't know why if it wasn't labeled as such.