this post was submitted on 15 Jul 2025
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xkcd #3115: Unsolved Physics Problems

Title text:

'Tin pest' makes more sense to me. Tin just doesn't want to be locked down in a shape like that. I get it. But why would any metal want to grow hair??

Transcript:

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Source: https://xkcd.com/3115/

explainxkcd for #3115

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[–] Successful_Try543@feddit.org 60 points 2 months ago (2 children)

A colleague of me did his PhD exactly on the last topic.

[–] BartyDeCanter@lemmy.sdf.org 42 points 2 months ago (1 children)

And does he know why? I've had to deal with it too often and it would be really nice to be able to expand RoHS to aerospace.

[–] Successful_Try543@feddit.org 68 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Deep in the coating, where the Cu6Sn5 [Remark: intermetallic phase of Sn coating and Cu substrate] is present, the deviatoric strain was high. This indicates that the growth of the intermetallic phase causes plastic deformation of the tin coating.
[...]
A short (4 micrometre) radial gradient in hydrostatic stress was observed around the root of the whisker. This gradient together with long-range diffusion from specific regions could provide the driving force for whisker growth.

https://portal.research.lu.se/en/publications/tin-whiskers-experiments-and-modelling

[–] Lemminary@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago

Oh, but of course! The deviatoric strain, yes.

[–] cmgvd3lw@discuss.tchncs.de 20 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Did he found a cure for baldness?

[–] Successful_Try543@feddit.org 29 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Well, if you are willing to coat your head with copper and some tin on top, you can grow yourself some tin whiskers. Yet, I don't know if they make a good replacement for hair.

[–] mojofrododojo@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

shaving is gonna be an adventure

[–] Honytawk@feddit.nl 8 points 2 months ago

No, but those zinc ingots now have great mustaches!

[–] elucubra@sopuli.xyz 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

There is no cure for baldness, else Bezos would have a mane.

[–] markovs_gun@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Elon has hair plugs that admittedly look pretty good. I think Bezoa just lost his hair too quickly to fool anyone.

[–] bstix@feddit.dk 2 points 2 months ago (1 children)

hair plugs that admittedly look pretty good.

Nah, it also doesn't fool anyone. it looks like a toupee, except that he can't take it off.

[–] morphballganon@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

It looks better than his natural hair did