GabyStarch feels dry to the touch—you could even pour it into a paper bag. Yet, it contains 20 percent water! This means that from five cups of starch, you could squeeze out a whole cup of liquid.
And starch is not an exception. Among the objects we see around us, it’s hard to find one that doesn’t contain colloidal water. Take mountains, for instance, which seem so far removed from water.
However, it’s been calculated that the rocks forming the Caucasus Mountains hold more water than the Caspian Sea.
Even pearls contain tiny particles of water. In humid air or when in close proximity to human skin, pearls maintain their beautiful luster. But in a dry environment, they can lose their colloidal water.
There have been instances where wealthy individuals locked their precious pearls in steel fireproof safes for security. Yet, after spending some time in these airtight vaults, the pearls would “dry out” and turn into… a pinch of ordinary chalk.
