@Bolanghoy 22 June 2022 more from that month

When cooking, to prevent a boiling pot of water 'boiling over' you can rest a wooden spoon over the top. This is because bubbles (in this case, in the boiling water) are unstable forms. When something hydrophobic (i.e. unable to absorb water) punctures the surface of a bubble, it subsides. A dry wooden spoon destabilizes the bubbles when they come into contact with its water-repelling surface. This makes the boiling water retreat.