Colloids are simply fine particles of solids, liquids, or gases suspended in a fluid. And you can find colloidal systems almost everywhere in nature and in industrial processes, such as in butter, milk, aerosols or paints. All of these substances are examples of colloidal dispersions or suspensions. But that's on Earth. In space, where there is no gravity, they start to behave as slow atoms. This is why several experiments are under progress aboard the International Space Station (ISS). According to NASA's Glenn Research Center, the goal is to reach "the supercritical region, where the liquid and gas are no longer distinct states, but rather form a homogeneous supercritical fluid." And if these experiments are successful, they could lead to new technologies, such as computers operating on light instead of electricity. Read more...
Sources: NASA's Glenn Research Center news release, October 3, 2005; and various web sites
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