Washcloth Experiment Yields Fascinating Results in International Space Station [Video]

In space, even the seemingly most mundane tasks can produce fascinating results. Take, for instance, wringing out a wet washcloth. Broadcasting from the International Space Station, the Canadian Space Agency's Chris Hadfield, the commander or the current research mission, continued what has become his ongoing gig as station front man and correspondent, sharing through a video and audio hook-up details about life on the station with folks down below. He's become widely recognized for the series of photos and videos he's transmitted back to earth. Like Us on Facebook A new piece of information delivered by Hadfield was prompted by students who asked Hadfield, the first Canadian to walk in space, about the dynamics of surface tension in space, according to a report by Discovery News. Surface tension is a tendency of the surface of a liquid to resist an external force, allowing, for example, some objects that are denser than the liquid, to float. The ways some insects, such as water striders, are able to run on the water surface is another example of surface tension, which is a result of the cohesion of similar molecules. The Canadian astronaut took to YouTube and demonstrated what happens when one wrings out a washcloth in a zero-gravity environment. Hadfield started the demonstration by taking a vacuum-packed washcloth, complete with official NASA insignia, and hydrating it with a stream of water he squeezed from a water bottle. It was after the cloth had absorbed the water that real fun began. Because, when Hadfield wrung out the cloth, much of the water covered the exterior of the cloth, like a transparent force field. Then some of the water traveled up his arms to cover his hands, appearing, at least, to have a consistency similar to that of slime. For suggesting the experiment, Canadian 10th-graders Kendra Lemke and Meredith Faulkner from Lockview High School in Fall River, Nova Scotia, won the grand prize in a national science contest. As their reward, the two high school students, along with many of their peers, got to see their experiment conducted by Hadfield live, during a video connection with the Station. "I was about your age when I decided I wanted to become an astronaut," Hadfield said to the 1,200 Lockview students watching from the school's gymnasium. "I hope that you remember today and continue to be curious about science and space. You are the space explorers of the future and the sky is no longer the limit."