Isaac Asimov

[athiocrat99]

Well, the original 'story' was a mock research paper, glorying in the title The Endochronic Properties Of Resublimated Thiotimoline. Apparently people actually asked in libraries for the other (made-up) papers he cited as references at the end - not twigging that a 'research paper' published in Astounding Science Fiction might be a tad dubious... The idea was simply that some substances begin to dissolve immediately when placed in water, whilst others didn't do so until a few moments later: Asimov merely extended the distribution in the other direction, positing a substance that began to dissolve before contact.

I think the idea was reused in three later stories - one of them somehow used the stuff to 'suck' a spaceship forward faster than light! - but I'm afraid I don't know the titles. - Oh, hang on, wikipedia has the full details. Clever fellow, that Asymptote!

EDIT: Incidentally, wikipedia links on from there to a list of fictional materials that is well worth a browse!

Thanks a lot for the above information. Now I hope to find a copy of Asimov's "Only A Trillion" which title is very familiar & may be the book (anthology) in which I'd first read his outstanding 'Thiotimoline' story.

[SpeedOfSound]

Isaac got me started with organic chemistry when I was a young lad with his books World of Carbon and World of Nitrogen.
Forever in his debt.

If you have a kid get these two out of print books.