Time Lapse of Magnetic Putty Melting is Oddly Mesmetizing

Science, is there anything it can’t do? In the video above by Ian Parks, a simple lump of magnetic putty, when it meets a high-powered magnet, is transformed into a soulless, undead creature of night, “eating” everything in its path. Magnetic putty is special in that it’s both a solid and a liquid, able to attract and engulf metal objects in seconds. Because of its consistency, the putty is able to arrange its particles to evenly distribute over surfaces—giving the aforementioned appearance of creeping death. While the putty may seem like the same variety you played with as a child, it’s actually infused with millions of micron-sized ferrous particles made from iron oxide powder. The ferromagnetic particles of the putty are what propel it forward, and as in the case of this time lapse, out of a mug and onto an object inches away. The folks at Bustle, who were just as horrified as we were, noted: “The magnet shown [...] is a strong neodymium iron boron magnet. It’s a very powerful magnet for its size and could erase magnetic stripes found in credit cards and damage electronics.”

For more magnetic putty fun, check out Boing Boing, and to make your own horrifying monster putty at home (and have nightmares forever) click here.