Science in the Public Disinterest, Contribution O' the Month: Nanotech and Golfballs

Always so worried about public relevance this, public relevance that, why not cherish the pointless? Why not celebrate the wasted funds, effort, and resources? Let's do so, with the Most Scientific-Buzz-Marketing-Synergy-Tacular Nanotech Patent of the Month (MSBMSTNPM)!

Now...deep breath...a collective two cheers for "Nano-particulate compositions for decreasing the water vapor transmission rate of golf ball layers"!

(This is all courtesy of the good man at The Battle-Scarred Muffin Pan, whom I propose is the most skilled homebrewing historian and philosopher of biology we've got, a real national treasure. I even used his title, the easy-to-remember MSBMSTNPM. Don't be surprised if it's the next meme to storm the web. All your MSBMSTNPM are belong to us, right?)

Here, the full abstract:

United States Patent Application #20060189412

Kind Code A1

Sullivan; Michael J. ; et al. August 24, 2006

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nano-particulate compositions for decreasing the water vapor transmission rate of golf ball layers

Abstract
A golf ball including a core; a cover having a first water vapor transmission rate; and a vapor barrier layer disposed between the core and the cover, the barrier layer being formed from a polymer including a nano-material having an average particle size of 100 nm or less; wherein the nano-material creates a tortuous path across the barrier layer such that the barrier layer has a second water vapor transmission rate less than the first.

Let's assume it's these two paired together:

And, my many apologies if you've already been reading about the great and good Michael J. Sullivan of Plymouth Mass. I know my patent-trademark database perusal wouldn't have gone over without him. I may be way behind on blogging about this.