The idle musings of a former military man, former computer geek, medically retired pastor and now full-time writer. Contents guaranteed to offend the politically correct and anal-retentive from time to time. My approach to life is that it should be taken with a large helping of laughter, and sufficient firepower to keep it tamed!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
A fascinating display
This video shows what happens when mercury thiocyanate decomposes while burning. It gets up to some pretty amazing antics!
I'm with Jackie. I was thinking of a sci-fi scene. Geeky scientific type: "No, don't use a torch to cut it free!" Michael Baldwin look-alike: "I know what I'm doing Doc. Now cool it." [hisssss, fooomp, steps back quickly] "Oh *&%$!!" Geeky science type {over shoulder, running} "We're gonna run out of volume and oxygen, hurry!" and so on . . .
"Before the War," WWII, one of the imported novelties was a tissue spill of mercury thiocyanate. Light the end and watch it grow! After the war I often wondered why exchange poor Japan did not export them.
A few years ago a stray comment made me realize just what those toys of my youth were. And I wondered no more.
I've seen a fireworks product that does that. I don't recall the name right at this moment, but they come in various colors, and do the same thing. I think they're called Glow Worms or something like that.
Eh - excuse me while I'm less than impressed. A minor-league Chinese-made "firework", commonly sold in the form of little tablets and lit singly or in various combos with a match, does this, and has been around since I was a pup, roughly 60+ years - they're called "Snakes", and they're not considered even particularly dangerous (unless you try to hold a lit one in your bare hand).
Freaky!
ReplyDeleteAnd totally organic appearance as well!
It's ALIVE......Have the folks from the SciFi channel seen this stuff?
ReplyDeleteI'm with Jackie. I was thinking of a sci-fi scene.
ReplyDeleteGeeky scientific type: "No, don't use a torch to cut it free!"
Michael Baldwin look-alike: "I know what I'm doing Doc. Now cool it." [hisssss, fooomp, steps back quickly] "Oh *&%$!!"
Geeky science type {over shoulder, running} "We're gonna run out of volume and oxygen, hurry!"
and so on . . .
LittleRed1
"Before the War," WWII, one of the imported novelties was a tissue spill of mercury thiocyanate. Light the end and watch it grow! After the war I often wondered why exchange poor Japan did not export them.
ReplyDeleteA few years ago a stray comment made me realize just what those toys of my youth were. And I wondered no more.
Stranger
I've seen a fireworks product that does that. I don't recall the name right at this moment, but they come in various colors, and do the same thing. I think they're called Glow Worms or something like that.
ReplyDeleteLooks like conservation of mass was violated.
ReplyDeleteWOW- Yep, definitely something for SciFi!
ReplyDeleteEh - excuse me while I'm less than impressed. A minor-league Chinese-made "firework", commonly sold in the form of little tablets and lit singly or in various combos with a match, does this, and has been around since I was a pup, roughly 60+ years - they're called "Snakes", and they're not considered even particularly dangerous (unless you try to hold a lit one in your bare hand).
ReplyDeleteMildly interesting - but not unusual at all...
Sulfuric acid and sugar will do something similar, but I can't find any good videos of it.
ReplyDeleteJebus! Does David Chronenberg know about this stuff?
ReplyDelete