# Frozen Smoke

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-smoke/3060>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 3, 1999, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-smoke/3060 "1999-09-03T22:11:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Babar714](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Babar714](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babar714)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 1999, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-smoke/3060/1 "1999-09-03T22:11:00Z")

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So, anybody remember this stuff? I forgot what it was really called. They say a chunk of it the size of a couch would weigh as much as a loaf of bread. It is the lightest solid known or made by man, could be made to or not to conduct electricity, made to repel or absorb water, etc. Did they find useful applications for it? Where can I get some?

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**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 1999, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-smoke/3060/2 "1999-09-03T22:19:00Z")

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I think that what you’re talking about are air gels. I can’t find any decent links to sites describing them. but it seems to me that they are currently being used as insulation in windows.

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**Author:** ![JLPicard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/858c86/32.png) [@JLPicard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JLPicard)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 1999, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-smoke/3060/3 "1999-09-03T22:19:00Z")

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I remember it! If I recall it was made from seaweed, I think that I saw a person put an inch of the stuff under a penny then take a blow torch to it, while it was on the back of someones hand! I’m sure someone will correct me if I remember wrong.

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Bad spellers of the world… UNTIE

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**Author:** ![Babar714](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Babar714](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babar714)\
**Post date:** [September 3, 1999, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-smoke/3060/4 "1999-09-03T22:21:00Z")

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You’re right, but the stuff I’m thinking of, “airo-gels”, are made of silicon and alchohol. I never heard of them being made of seaweed. But who knows?

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**Author:** ![AuraSeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c2a13f/32.png) [@AuraSeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuraSeer)\
**Post date:** [September 6, 1999, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-smoke/3060/5 "1999-09-06T06:17:00Z")

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If you’re still looking for websites on this stuff, try typing “aerogel” into AltaVista. That spelling got me a ton of hits.

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**Author:** ![torq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@torq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/torq)\
**Post date:** [September 7, 1999, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-smoke/3060/6 "1999-09-07T19:13:00Z")

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There was a chunk of it in one of the shops in Disneyland (as an exhibit, not for sale) in the new Tomorrowland area (it’s in the shop where you exit after riding the Rocket Rods… across from the Star Tours building).