Friday, May 30, 2008

Water babies (水晶泡泡)

Does anyone know that they are? Some primary school students gave them to my wife. They call them water babies (水晶泡泡). But we haven’t been able to figure out exactly what they are. Apparently they are popular among primary school students. But most of the secondary school and university students we asked seemed to be unaware of them.

They come in the size of sesame seeds. You put them in water, and they start to grow bigger and bigger. Bumps start to form on the smooth surface - see the purple one in the upper left.

Supposedly the bumps will grow bigger and eventually fall off to become new babies. The babies start to grow ... You need more than one for babies to form - according to my wife’s little friends.

We doubt very much that these are actually living things. But cannot figure out yet what exactly what they are and they are doing.






2 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's actually called 水晶寶寶. If you want to know more about it, here's some information. Make sure you wash your hands after 'playing' with it.
http://hk.knowledge.yahoo.com/question/?qid=7008020501044

Anonymous said...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrylate_terpolymer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acrylic_acid