Flubber is an anthropomorphic green blob accidentally created by the fictional Professor Brainard. The character originally appeared in the Disney film “The Absent-Minded Professor” in the 1960s [1].
A more recent version came out in 1997, with Brainard played by Robin Williams [2]. In the 1997 film, Flubber typically takes the form of a small human-like figure that possesses great speed and bouncing ability. When used to coat objects, the Flubber confers its properties, leading to hilarious scenes featuring flying (bouncing) bowling balls and even basketball players.
Although it possesses greater powers (and sentience) in the films, certain versions of Flubber do exist in real life. Real-life Flubbers are typically non-Newtonian fluids, which are fluids that do not follow the usual laws of viscosity. We often see these as slimy materials (goo or putty) that behave like liquids when handled slowly, but then are hard upon impact. One can easily make a Flubber-like slime using polyvinyl acetate (e.g., in white glue) and borax—a popular school experiment [3].
There are also advanced forms of Flubber that have life-saving applications, like the orange gel created by UK-based company D3O [4]. This putty has incredible shock-absorbing properties and has been used in protective cases, gloves, helmets, and armor for sports and military.
References
- [1] The Absent-Minded Professor, wikipedia.org. (accessed June 13, 2017)
- [2] Flubber (film), wikipedia.org. (accessed June 13, 2017)
- [3] The gelation of polyvinyl alcohol with borax: A novel class participation experiment involving the preparation and properties of a “slime”,
E. Z. Casassa, A. M. Sarquis, C. H. Van Dyke,
J. Chem. Educ. 1986, 63, 57.
DOI: 10.1021/ed063p57 - [4] ‘Orange goo’ is used in armor for soldiers and football players,
T. Doran, B. Britton,
CNN.com, April 4, 2017.
Also of Interest
- Chemistry Makes Slime Glow in the Dark
ChemistryViews.org 2016.
Be prepared for Halloween with glowing slime and the chemistry behind it
