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21 June 2006

Huh. And I thought it was just my dyslexia kicking in.[More:]

Have you ever heard of the word adsorbant? Not absorbant, adsorbant. I hadn't, and when I saw it on the Mirriam-Webster page for "silica gel, " I almost wrote them a letter to correct their spelling error. Huh.
Heh. I'm ashamed to admit I learned "adsorb" in eighth grade, in the throes of a horrific (but very well done) science fair project involving dissolving rocks with acetic acid (vinegar).

But yeah, it generally still makes me pause and think about it for a minute.
posted by Fuzzbean 21 June | 16:55
Fucking online dictionary.

'adsorbent' - capable of adsorption.

Bastards. Probably adsorbent bastards, too.
posted by essexjan 21 June | 17:00
Jan, try Merriam-Webster's definition. Much more informative.

Alos, the words are spelled adsorbent and absorbent.

I mean: also.

FUCK!
posted by Specklet 21 June | 17:06
I adsorb antibodies onto polystyrene plates.

I always figured adsorb was to get something to stick to something else while absorb was to soak up something.
posted by porpoise 21 June | 17:10
I'm not going to condensate about this.
posted by Smart Dalek 21 June | 18:17
It's just chemistry geekery leaking out of it's box again. I advise you to pay it no mind. In the unlikely event that your inner nerd finds this unsatisfying, however, I bust out in askme sprinkles: Adsorpition means forming a thin coating (like oil on metal), while absorption means permeation into a bulk (like water soaking into a sponge). A subtle difference to be sure, but one which matters greatly for paper towels and other cleaning products.
posted by bonehead 21 June | 18:19
I vividly remember in 10th grade chemistry having the same reaction to seeing the word for the first time. "WTF?! They spelled it wrong!"
posted by mike9322 21 June | 18:56
Clever stuff || Is no one going to do a Happy Solstice post?

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