Most things aren’t liquid, solid, or gas. They’re gel-like — and understanding how they work can improve our understanding of biology and human health.
The vast majority of substances are neither liquid, solid, nor gas – but an alternative form that shares characteristics of liquids and gases.
Among them are gels, glasses, and colloidal suspensions, and they’re an essential part of everyday products like toothpaste, paint, hair products, and even windows. Stanford chemical engineer Roseanna Zia is an expert on the gel-like substance known as colloids. In this episode of The Future of Everything, she joins host Russ Altman to talk about the physics of these substances, and how a greater understanding of colloids can improve our understanding of cells, biological processes, and human health and disease.