The Lightest Solid on Earth (You won’t believe this exists)

Aerogel is the lightest and lowest-density solid in the world. It’s a gel composed of 99.8% air. Looking like frozen smoke, this material is almost as light as air itself. It’s only 1.74 grams.

It’s so light that even soap bubbles can lift it. Despite its weight, it can withstand extreme temperatures from -273 degrees Celsius to 650 degrees Celsius and provides a protection against heat unlike anything else on Earth.
However, even with a small pressure applied by my finger, the aerogel shatters into thousands of pieces and turns to dust.

But what’s surprising is that if I take those aerogel dusts and apply it to any surface, like my body, it becomes 100% hydrophobic. It makes me completely waterproof.

On top of that, this dust also forms new non-brittle foam-like aerogel composites, which can be utilized in extreme applications requiring protection.
Aerogels can be in different shapes, given that they are 99% air, can you guess the kind of sound would an aerogel make?
It’s like an empty can dropping onto a steel surface, very metallic. It’s quite different from what most of you might expect.

I’m at the Solarcore facility in Oregon, and I’ll be conducting experiments to test the aerogel’s most incredible properties.