TIME Coolest Inventions 2004: 3M Novec 1230 Fire Protection Fluid

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3M Novec 1230 Fire Protection Fluid

Inventor: 3M
Availability: Now
To Learn More: tycofireandsecurity.com
It looks like water. It pours, flows and sloshes like water. But it doesn't get things wet. Its name is 3M Novec 1230 Fire Protection Fluid, and its chemical formula looks like alphabet soup. (It's technically a fluorinated ketone, whatever that means.) But you can dunk a laptop computer in it, and it'll come out bone dry and working fine. That makes this wonder fluid perfect for putting out fires in offices, computer rooms and museums. Just don't try drinking it.

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BY ANITA HAMILTON, MARYANNE MURRAY BUECHNER, LEV GROSSMAN, SIMON CRITTLE AND SORA SONG / WITH REPORTING BY HANNA KITE AND YUKI ODA/TOKYO
PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID WAITZ FOR TIME