Some really neat stuff, but not much information. #6 for example, is fascinating, but it doesn't even say what chemicals are being combined, let alone explain how the reaction can oscillate like that. I guess it has something to do with the device the beaker is sitting on?
Personally, I can't believe they missed my favorite scientific demonstration: the sound-canceling effect of combining sulphuric acid and iron to produce bumcivilian, or "brown iron". posted by rifflesby at 5:52 PM on March 2, 2008 [5 favorites]
Not a bad collection (not everything goes 'boom'). The lack of information - yeah, that's "Wired."
10. Thermite vs. Liquid Nitrogen
The British science show Brainiac asked one of the greatest scientific questions of all time: can liquid nitrogen freeze molten iron?
Oh god, that video was so annoying. They dumped a ton of Thermite into a small cup of liquid nitrogen. Of course the thermite "won". If they had used a lot of liquid nitrogen then the liquid nitrogen would have "won". In fact, if they'd balanced their equations they could have gotten to a final temperature of their choosing, it would have been a great way to illustrate the effects of thermodynamics. Rather, watching the video actually makes people dumber then when they started, because at the end of the video they say outright that Thermite wins out over LN2. posted by delmoi at 7:11 PM on March 2, 2008 [3 favorites]
Rather, watching the video actually makes people dumber then when they started, because at the end of the video they say outright that Thermite wins out over LN2.
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Personally, I can't believe they missed my favorite scientific demonstration: the sound-canceling effect of combining sulphuric acid and iron to produce bumcivilian, or "brown iron".
posted by rifflesby at 5:52 PM on March 2, 2008 [5 favorites]