Zubbles Offers World's First Colored Bubbles

Popular Science has named the Best of What's New in 2005, and one of the winners is Zubbles, bubbles that come in colors. Yes, that's right -- colors. Think about it, have you ever seen colored soap bubbles? No, you haven't...until now. PopSci describes Zubbles in an article.

Zubbles are the first truly colored bubbles-nearly opaque, with a single vibrant hue. The problem, which took Minnesota toy inventor Tim Kehoe more than 10 years to solve, was to create a dye that could not only tint the thin wall of a soap bubble but that wouldn't leave a stain when the bubble broke. His solution: invent an entirely new dye that simply disappears. Agitation (rubbing your hands together) or exposure to the air transforms the dye's molecular structure from brightly colored to colorless in minutes or hours, depending on the surface the bubbles break on.

What fun! Zubbles look like a perfect children's gift. And then you must solemnly say to the child, "You know, when I was a kid, bubbles were clear. We didn't have any new-fangled colored bubbles."

Popular Science says the innovation could also lead to other products such as a bathroom wipe that leaves a trail of color to show you where you have cleaned or toothpaste that changes the color of a kids' mouth after they have brushed.

Update: Here a video from Zubbles inventor Tim Kehoe.