Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'
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I like this idea, only I think it should be run by the government.

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floatfoam

draw 3d diagrams in the air
  (+16, -2)(+16, -2)
(+16, -2)
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for the dimensionally challenged - when 2 dimensions of the black/white/greenboard are not enough and you need to draw your diagrams in 3D:

the "pen" is like a can of shaving foam with a long tube at the nozzle. the foam can will be pressurized using hydrogen so that the overall foam density can be made equal to air density... and your 3D drawing floats in the air. optional: foam density adjustment knob.

your drawing might float around for a bit, but that is ok unless you're outdoors or the room is really drafty.

for spectacular effect you can burn your drawings at the end of class/presentation.

arvin, Aug 24 2006

Hit for "lighter than air foam" http://www.flickr.c...llfarmer/133782346/
[2 fries shy of a happy meal, Aug 25 2006]

flogos.net http://www.flogos.net/FAQ.html
Arvin's link as a link. [jutta, Nov 20 2008]

3Doodler http://www.kickstar...rst-3d-printing-pen
3D printing pen [xaviergisz, Feb 20 2013]

[link]






       I'm not sure if this is possible by the means you're describing, but I'll beleive that some lighter-than-air material can be used as 'ink'. Bun.
jellydoughnut, Aug 24 2006
  

       It's anice idea, in pricipal, but may suffer from bad physics. I think we need more detail... foam will squirt out in clumpy blobs or a diffuse spray - how do you make stay in the form of outlines?
xenzag, Aug 24 2006
  

       Show me a stable liquid/foam that is lighter than air at STP and you shall have my bun.   

       I'm skeptical, so I'll just go ahead an eat the bun.
Texticle, Aug 24 2006
  

       A presentation could have multiple 'working' components too (i.e. demonstrate a newly designed square peg fitting in a round hole).
Shz, Aug 24 2006
  

       the foam should come out continuously... being foam i should expect it would stick together.   

       you make lines/curves by moving the tip as you press.   

       of course, i am not sure if water-based foam can ever be made light enough to float and be cohesive and stable... basically to make it lighter we need to make the bubbles/cavities larger, but this would also make the foam more susceptible to breaking up.   

       the question is, does a trade-off exist? if not with water, perhaps it will work with some liquid with less density and more surface tension...
arvin, Aug 24 2006
  

       I'm sure everyone else who annotated here is smarter and far more knowledgable than me. If a foam of this kind isn't possible, maybe some lingering steam or something of the sort? Bubbles? Carved into Jell-o? I don't know but I still like the idea behind the miracle foam.
jellydoughnut, Aug 24 2006
  

       Every 1/10 of a second while you're drawing, a thin wire shoots out of the nozzle, binds to the foam, and shoots up to the ceiling where it sticks. Thus you actually create a hanging sculpture.
phundug, Aug 24 2006
  

       [+] so would the foam have to harden immediately?
kevinlipe, Aug 24 2006
  

       That "GoodStuff" insulating foam must have high pressure gas within it, which it somehow contains. It does set up pretty fast.
bungston, Aug 25 2006
  

       I normally fishbone for helium-filled anything, but this does use hydrogen, which is slightly better at lifting. So I'll just fishbone for wishing.   

       I have worked with a wind-tunnel that put small helium-filled bubbles into the airstream. But I don't see any suggestion for something workable here. Just a WIBNI.
baconbrain, Aug 25 2006
  

       Even if you did get a foam that could harden instantly and float in mid-air, you would still have to anchor it to *something*. Otherwise it's just going to shoot off into some student's eye and harden.   

       Then where will poor little Jimmy be? Faceless, armless, and now eyeless. Not good.
NotTheSharpestSpoon, Aug 25 2006
  

       "The Pyth are soft and low-mass, like–do you know what a jellyfish looks like? A Pyth looks like a foamy jellyfish, hydrogen foam." -- from "Free Floaters" by Brenda Cooper and Larry Niven
ldischler, Aug 25 2006
  

       baked: hot off the oven!   

       http://www.flogos.net/FAQ.html
arvin, Apr 18 2008
  

       You've been lurking about, just waiting for that to happen, haven't you?   

       I wouldn'a thought an LTA foam would work, but there you go. Gotta bun this now.
Custardguts, Nov 23 2008
  
      
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