Hydrogel Beads in a Frying Pan

That's just weird.

I don't have much to say here other than that it's a weird effect using some polymers.

There really isn't much material science connection. Maybe it's something to know that if you make a product out of hydrogel beads (probably a polyacrylamide) that it can cause this strange interaction if a metal as hot as a frying pan comes into contact with it.

Most of the comments on IFLScience and the YouTube video suggest that it's caused by the Leidenfrost effect, but that still doesn't make this any less weird and unexpected.

Plus, who throws these things into a frying pan in the first place?

Russians, eh?