Top ten chemistry videos.
March 2, 2008 5:32 PM Subscribe
Top ten chemistry videos. (Wired, YouTube)
Not a bad collection (not everything goes 'boom'). The lack of information - yeah, that's "Wired."
Needs more (1)barkin' (2)dog.
posted by peppito at 6:49 PM on March 2, 2008 [1 favorite]
Needs more (1)barkin' (2)dog.
posted by peppito at 6:49 PM on March 2, 2008 [1 favorite]
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]
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]
boom goes the dynamite! lol
posted by north carolina mortgage at 7:12 PM on March 2, 2008
posted by north carolina mortgage at 7:12 PM on March 2, 2008
11. kerosene vs. erythroxylon novogranatense
posted by morizky at 8:37 PM on March 2, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by morizky at 8:37 PM on March 2, 2008 [1 favorite]
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.
I wouldn't expect much from Braniac. This is the "science" show that fakes its experiments so they produce more exciting results.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 9:18 PM on March 2, 2008
I wouldn't expect much from Braniac. This is the "science" show that fakes its experiments so they produce more exciting results.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 9:18 PM on March 2, 2008
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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]