News: Magnetic Powder Turns Silly Putty into Freakish Magnet-Hungry Blob

It's best known as a children's toy, but kids aren't the only ones who can appreciate the unique and marvelous properties of Silly Putty. It's an incredibly fun silicone polymer that almost seems like a scientific anomaly, thanks to its viscoelastic non-Newtonian flow. This amazing dilatant fluid can be stretched, torn and mashed back together, as well as bounce and shatter into pieces with a forceful blow.

If that isn't astonishing enough for you, there's even some Silly Putty out there that's magnetic. But instead of purchasing magnetic Silly Putty from some expensive website, Mike Warren has come up with a DIY solution for making it at a fraction of the cost. And it only takes 20 minutes! See it in action below.

It seems that magnetic Silly Putty has a serious appetite for neodymium magnets, engulfing them in mere seconds. And all it takes to make this wacky toy even wackier is a ferrous component, i.e. ferric iron oxide powder, which can be found at most art supply stores. Just slowly fold the magnetic powder in until it's been thoroughly magnetized and blackened in color and you have your own homemade magnetic Silly Putty.

Just be careful... this magnetized version of Silly Putty (or Thinking Putty) can be a little messier than the original putty and could stain your clothes or leave some residue behind. For the full DIY instructions, check out Mike's tutorial.