Isn't there a monster like this on Starship Trooper?

And Britt - so, if your dad bought it at $0.10 cover price in 1938, he would have a return of 350,000,000%! Not a bad investment at all!

Thanks Rover - my copy of mental_floss' Condensed Knowledge book had the error - it's corrected now!

Wyvern, the funniest use of magic sand (as written in the Chemistry.org article) was:

"Magic sand has also been tested by utility companies in the Arctic. The utilities bury electric and telephone wires to protect them from the harsh weather. However, if something needs repair during the winter, digging through frozen Arctic soil normally requires hours of work with power tools. To speed underground repairs, utility companies can cover electrical junction boxes with magic sand and cap the sand with just a few inches of soil. Rainwater flows around, not through, the magic sand and, when the soil freezes solid, the magic sand remains dry and loose. It is easy to break through the frozen cap, then shovel away the loose magic sand."

In science, hydrophobic means water-hating. Lipids or fats, for instance, are hydrophobic. The opposite is hydrophilic or water-loving.