Comments on It's the Rheo Thing: The Dangers of a Flying Cupcake

@Bend, I would also nix the cream cheese, mayo sa...

2012-01-13T08:14:53.344-06:00

@Bend,

I would also nix the cream cheese, mayo sandwiches, PB & J sandwiches and anything else with an obvious yield stress.

Again, I'm not saying that the rule is justified. This is just how I would interpret it.

"Frosting is not a polymeric gel, but more of...

2012-01-12T17:35:49.052-06:00

"Frosting is not a polymeric gel, but more of a "colloidal" gel with plenty of non-Newtonian behavior - certainly yield stress, but also likely shear thinning, and maybe even some thixotropy..." This depends on whether we are talking about a buttercream, whipped cream or cream cheese frosting. Though buttercream is the most popular for cupcakes, cream cheese frostings are also quite common. The latter has a significant polymer component (milk proteins). While cream cheese frostings are more fluid than cream cheese itself, would you take the same position if the passenger had had a bagel with copious cream cheese?

I was trying to not get into the aspect of whether...

2012-01-12T10:56:11.560-06:00

I was trying to not get into the aspect of whether or not the gel restrictions were a good and effective approach. As you and others have indicated, there are plenty of opportunities to get around them, and there always will be.

A motivated suicidal nut can wear a nitrocellulose...

2012-01-12T09:36:16.487-06:00

A motivated suicidal nut can wear a nitrocellulose-based clothes on the plane, then stuff them into some sturdy sealed container and ignite.

One can skip the weaving part, just nitrate cotton cloth and taylor the garments from it, or even use over-sized T-shirt or thick cotton socks as a starting material. (Celulose fibers shrink and partially sinter upon nitration so the nitrated cloth would be kind of stiff and scratchy to wear but adequate for the purpose).