THIOTIMOLINE

from Fancyclopedia 2

Isaac Asimov intruded in the normally sercon article pages of Astounding a deadpan exposition of a substance which had, when progressively purified, shorter and shorter solution times. When resublimated it actually (if that's the word we want) went into solution so fast that it dissolved before the solvent hit it. The notion struck fan whimsy and writings on the subject developed such variants as selenotimoline, a photosensitive analog which could be used to tell whether a picture would come out all right before clicking the shutter. Hoax articles like this were one of the curiosa in JWC's seeking for popularity in the early '50s, of which the Predicted Issue was the whimsical best and pooping of dianetics, Hieronymus machines, and dowsing, the horrid ultima.