Rainworks – Rain-Activated Positive Messages and Art | Hacker News Reader

Rainworks – Rain-Activated Positive Messages and Art

rain.works

59 pointsColinWright19 comments

Apparently I belong to a small minority that does not get down and depressed when it rains.

It is all about mindset. Ok, if you go to a meeting and your nice suit gets soaked, then it is less fun. But on the way back home, just catch those raindrops. Look around. Look at other people hastily walking by with frowned faces. Relax. It's nature. Things are moving. Clouds roil above you. Enjoy it.

While I like some of the artwork, seeing sentences like "You are amazing" appear everywhere, would spoil the beauty of a nice, honest rainshower for me, to be honest :)

Rain has always provided a strong boost to my mood. The sound and the way everything looks during/after a good downpour is incredibly relaxing.

I grew up in an area with frequent rain though so that's more of my default weather than other people I imagine.

Fancy word for the smell after it rains:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrichor

Rain is my favorite. Certainly the biggest thing I miss since moving out of Seattle. Rain is so peaceful and refreshing. Also, watching it rain through a window in a dark room, wrapped in a blanket, is possibly coziest thing in the world :)

I've been living in Seattle for several years and I miss actual rain. Rain you need an umbrella for. Rain that makes you pause under shelter. Rain that has thunder and lightning now and then.

Seattle, clouds just come sit on the city and you have to go about your business inside them.

I grew up in the desert, so absolutely love the rain. Then I went to school in Vancouver, so I get the negative aspects of endless grey...

Whenever it starts raining, I remind myself that I should enjoy it: it's still not acid, it doesn't burn holes in our umbrellas, it feeds the plants, it's kind of amazing if you think about it. Pure nourishing for the surroundings.

Afterwards I keep on walking - now happy.

I love rain. It smells nice during and after. It cools off the hot air in summer. It's relaxing to listen to. And most importantly, it gives a good excuse to stay home.

Yeah!

Rain is a good time to go for a walk.

Everything is quiet in a way, and there are less people around.

It's a bit like walking in a noisy snowfall. (You know when it snows big flakes it gets very, very quiet)

The downside is if it rains a LOT you will be soaked and cold and everything you carry with you will be soaked, too. It's fine for keys but a phone... That can break.

From the MSDS sheet:

> 6.2 Environmental precautions

> Seal leaks when possible without risk. Impound spoiled product as much as possible with inert materials. Do not allow substance to flow into water ways, sewerage systems, basements or confined areas.

I'm sure that's referring to the liquid substance; however there's no information on the site as to how the fluoropolymers biodegrade as the sprays wear with foot traffic and end up in the environment. Hopefully someone with chemistry background has more details about this process.

https://rain.works/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Rainworks-Invi...

For what it's worth, they address this (superficially) in their FAQ:

> Are rainworks bad for the environment?

> Heavens no! Once dry, rainworks are completely non-toxic, environmentally safe, and biodegradable. The solvent in Invisible Spray means you should not pour it down the drain, but when used as instructed, its solvent evaporates and does not enter the water system.

I'm skeptical, too. On their site [1] they claim it's "Eco-Friendly & Biodegradable" and that "Once a rainwork is dry, it is non-toxic to the environment!" A different page [2] says: "The spray is a solvent-based formula. Because of the solvent, it is not safe to drink the liquid or inhale the vapor. ... Once the Invisible Spray is sprayed on the ground, the solvent evaporates, leaving only the biodegradable water-repelling ingredients locked to the surface, making it superhydrophobic, creating the rainwork!"

Not a chemist, but I don't think fluoropolymers are generally biodegradable. In fact, isn't non-biodegradability (and non-bioavailability) part of the point?

[1] https://rain.works/invisiblespray/

[2] https://rain.works/product/invisiblespray/

So they're promoting the contamination of everything with hydrophobic paint?

If this catches on, walking around on a rainy day, which I find pleasant, will instead be depressing.

Interesting, I met Peregrine (one of the rainworks founders) a few years ago at a meetup when he was starting to experiment with this. Really enjoyed his enthusiasm for making art.

From my memory he tested out a few different paints and found something that was supposedly biodegradeable - my best guess is he may be using one of the neverwet variants - http://www.neverwet.com/ , he mentions it here: https://twitter.com/icreatenovelty/status/445228159248506880

edit: I'm wrong, he's using Belgium-based Nanex from the msds sheet.

I've always found it too expensive to just buy some and experiment, but I swear it's cheaper now. I'll buy some when I get home.

Neat. How does it prevent negative messages and ugly graffiti?

from the faq https://rain.works/faqs/ : "On average, a rainwork lasts 2 to 4 months. We have had them last up to a year under the right conditions."

"According to a representative at the Seattle Department of Transportation, rainworks are legal on public sidewalks because they are temporary, don’t harm the property, and we don’t use them to advertise anything."

I think the intent was to find something more like a neat alternative to sidewalk chalk than to be a graffiti.

Sorry, I can't spray paint my sidewalk but you can spray neverwet on it? This stuff is not good for the watershed.

$130 for 16oz, lasts 3-4 months. Amazing.

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