The TSA (the airport police) has an official answer. They count Vaseline as a liquid. Yes, really. If you fly with a jar bigger than 3.4 ounces, you’ll get the dreaded “please remove this” talk.
Why? Because it can spread. It can spill. It can make a mess that haunts janitors for years. Liquids are chaotic. Vaseline is just chaotic in slow motion.
But science says it’s a “plastic solid.” It flows, but only under stress. It’s like a grumpy cat that only moves when it wants a treat.
Fun Experiment: The Finger Test
Go grab your Vaseline jar. Seriously, do it. Now stick your finger in. See that hole? It stays there. That’s a solid move (pun intended).
Now leave the jar in the sun for ten minutes. Come back. That hole is gone. The Vaseline “healed” itself. It flowed back together like a liquid ghost.
This is the weirdest party trick a substance can perform. “I’m solid! No, wait, I’m liquid!” It’s the Riddler of bathroom products.
