Filament Sprouts

& other funny business

Lately I've noted some novel characteristics and reactions in various filament/fibers I'm observing. I'll usually submerge them in various liquids and watch how they respond. Most noteworthy was a recent c19 swab test sample I’d prepared; also applying drops of acetone to the slide, I was producing some pretty indescribable reactions. Acetone certainly appears to affect the filaments, usually leaving them looking like shriveled up cheese puffs. Evil cheese puffs.

Then there are more strange behaviors. Filaments appearing to sprout new off-shoots in real time. I’d missed a golden opportunity to capture a dramatic example, but I was able to catch this grainy footage. Enough to convey the principle.

Then there was the death-roll, & anchored thread-spin:

Whats interesting to me about this thread residue deposit action, is that I've begun seeing similar indications on slides were no acetone is present at all. In fact, this next example is from a different microscope in a separate room with minimal ambient activity or disturbances.

separate slide without acetone

Is acetone even a factor then?

Various observed filament states and behaviors:

Environmental filaments exhibit a variety of behaviors in addition to their many permutations and colors.

• Flaking, peeling & shedding:

• Fraying, ruptures & coring:

  

  Excretions (Witnessed in various liquid immersions):

  

• Sprouting:

Most observed examples of sprouting filaments exhibit branch or bulb-like appendages, extending from the core structure at natural looking angles. They are characteristically distinguishable from filament tears, peels and other fragmentation. In rare instances new sprouts can be observed quickly developing in real time.

Admittedly a more speculative example. This may be a sprout. Note how the smaller smooth cylinder appears embedded in the larger filament.

• Anchored tension-twisted strands (pictured & videoed above)

It’s occurred to me that this action could also result from a reversed process. Instead of a filament spooling out a strand of itself, it may be picking up and carrying away viscous material from the environment (the slides in this case). The fact that we see two anchor points on the filament and only one on the slide seems to argue against this theory to me though.

Reflection time

I find myself fending off the superstitious notion that these behaviors are progressively emerging in our environment. Cumulatively developing into some indecipherable network complete with patches and updates. Most likely it’s just a case of “the more you look, the more you'll see”. Still, with each new observation & witnessed anomaly, that superstition regains a little ground; maintaining it’s perch in back of my mind. Balancing defiantly astride the chasm of my disbelief.

Stay Tuned

-Will

BONUS!: Friday's Freaky Filament Feature