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Taking the Ice Bucket Challenge With Liquid Nitrogen

Posted by samzenpus on from the coldest-shower dept.

Nerval's Lobster writes As a trend, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge seems a bit played out—who hasn't yet dumped a bucket of icy water over his or her head for charity? But that didn't stop Canadian chemist Muhammad Qureshi from executing his own sublimely scientific, potentially dangerous variation on the theme: After donating to the ALS Association, he proceeded to douse himself with a bucket of liquid nitrogen. Anyone who's taken a chemistry class, or at least watched the end of Terminator 2, knows that liquid nitrogen can rapidly freeze objects, leaving them brittle and prone to shattering. Pouring it on your skin can cause serious frostbite. So what prevented that bucketful of liquid nitrogen from transforming Qureshi into a popsicle? In two words: Leidenfrost effect. Named after 18th century scientist Johann Gottlob Leidenfrost, the effect is when a liquid comes near a mass that's much warmer than the liquid's boiling point, which (in the words of Princeton's helpful physics explainer) results in an insulating vapor layer that "keeps that liquid from boiling rapidly." In other words, the vapor makes the liquid "float" just above the surface of the object, rather than coming into direct contact with it.

3 of 182 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Translation for kids... by Opportunist · · Score: 4, Insightful

    My first reaction when I read this: I think we found the winner of 2014's Darwin Award. No, not that guy. But some copycat who has, unlike him, no clue about Physics and insists in topping the performance.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  2. fuck you and the bucket challenge by ruir · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Idiocracy was right on. The fucking bucket challenge is no better than ow my balls. Mod me down at will.

    1. Re:fuck you and the bucket challenge by thegarbz · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It's slacktivism at its best. Seriously the whole point of the challenge was do something that causes discomfort and donate a little or forgo the discomfort and donate a lot. Yet we have an internet full of loaded celebrities like Oprah (who has a freezer draw of ice in her kitchen, like seriously how much money does one need to make before they can install something like that in their house?) who then go and douse themselves.

      So far the only one I have seen who did it right was Patrick Stewart. Write a big check instead of putting yourself through the discomfort.

      The financial results of the campaign would be amazing if it weren't for the fact that many of the people participating make more money in a year than was donated in the entire campaign.