Leidenfrost Effect Puts Perpetual Bounce into Hydrogel Beads

Not all great ideas come in the shower. Sometimes inspiration strikes when you're whipping up a stack of pancakes. At least that's what happened to the man who filmed the video above when he paused his cooking to perform an impromptu science experiment: dropping a handful of hydrogel beads -- small orbs that absorb water and can be used instead of soil for houseplants -- into a hot skillet.Because, well, why not?Last November, the amateur scientist posted a YouTube video of the beads, which are ...