https://hackerpaper.kaipfister.de/p/1703.03011/Collected HN comments and submissions linking this paper.enMon, 02 Nov 2026 11:16:22 GMThttps://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=22659962urn:hackerpapers:mention:1703.03011:22659962Sun, 22 Mar 2020 23:56:26 GMT<p>&gt; That skin can lead to some curious behaviors. His lab has found that when a drop of gallium-indium alloy sits in a strong alkali solution, applying voltage causes the skin to form around the drop. The skin acts as one of the world’s most effective surfactants—chemicals that alter the drop’s surface tension—by turning the drop’s spherical shape into a snowflake-like fractal pattern. Links to this paper (there&#x27;s an image): Oxidation-Mediated Fingering in Liquid Metals Collin B. Eaker, David C. Hight, John D. O&#x27;Regan, Michael D. Dickey, Karen E. Daniels (Submitted on 8 Mar 2017)…</p><p><a href="https://hackerpaper.kaipfister.de/p/1703.03011/">Paper and discussion history</a>. A mention is not an endorsement.</p>cond-mat.soft