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  • RESEARCH HIGHLIGHT

An absorbing study on the maths of sponges

Formula predicts speed at which dry material soaks up water.
Cellulose sponge absorbing water

As liquid creeps up a cellulose sponge, microscopic holes in the sponge walls grow and merge. Credit: Jonghyun Ha and Ho-Young Kim, Seoul National University

A kitchen sponge wicks water upward by filling microscopic holes that quickly tear themselves apart.

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Nature 556, 153 (2018)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-018-04010-w

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