Both beer and shampoo have polar molecules that accumulate at a liquid-gas interface, but the mechanisms that prevent bubble collapse in soap foams or pilsner heads are fundamentally different.

Perhaps the Chinese bubble will also go pop, leaving those who have predicted a "Chinese century" scratching their heads in embarrassment and surprise.

It was only when the economic bubble burst that Thailand's leaders realized that they had been burying their heads in the sand for many years.