Jul 16 2009The Leidenfrost Effect, Or: How It's Okay To Stick Your Hand In A Can Of Liquid Nitrogen
Science is amazing. And I'm not just saying that because it's my only hope of cloning dinosaurs or inventing a time machine. Yes I am. But still, the Leidenfrost Effect is cool too.
The Leidenfrost effect is a phenomenon in which a liquid, in near contact with a mass significantly hotter than the liquid's boiling point, produces an insulating vapor layer which keeps that liquid from boiling rapidly. This is most commonly seen when cooking; one sprinkles drops of water in a skillet to gauge its temperature--if the skillet's temperature is at or above the Leidenfrost point, the water skitters across the metal and takes longer to evaporate than it would in a skillet that is above boiling temperature, but below the temperature of the Leidenfrost point. It has also been used in some dangerous demonstrations, such as dipping a wet finger in molten lead or blowing out a mouthful of liquid nitrogen, both enacted without injury to the demonstrator.
Well neato. If you don't like reading the guy in the video explains the whole Lederhosen effect and even demonstrates the water on a hot surface and dipping your hand in liquid nitrogen experiments. So, watch that while I run to the restroom.
Okay, now which one of you jokers filled the toilet bowl with liquid nitrogen? And, hypothetically, how long do you think it takes to thaw a frozen python? And, if using a microwave, should you use the defrost or popcorn button?
Thanks to towhee, who, like all women, has a heart that pumps liquid nitrogen.
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Reader Comments
1. naas - July 16, 2009 4:25 PM
trippeh, that's all I got .... trippeh
2. Mary-Jane - July 16, 2009 4:26 PM
That is so awesome!
3. tobyraider - July 16, 2009 4:30 PM
I could stick my cock in there for a good 2 minutes.....
4. hahah - July 16, 2009 4:35 PM
Sounds like the guy from silence of the Lambs.
"IT RUBS THE LOTION ON ITS SKIN OR ELSE IT GETS THE HOSE AGAIN!!!"
5. $.02 and a pocket full of FAH-Q - July 16, 2009 4:41 PM
pffbbt. My heart pumps Mercury. Cuz I'm hot like that.
6. Harold - July 16, 2009 4:42 PM
He used a voice mod to protect his identity from all the ladies who will surely be breaking down his door due to the aphrodesic effect of this sick to the power of rad video.
7. sick to the power of me - July 16, 2009 4:43 PM
@4
my first thought was Dr. Claw from Inspector Gadget but this voice needs to smoke more.
Youtube ended the TV careers of "Bill Ni the science guy" and any other Du Pont outcasts
8. word - July 16, 2009 4:45 PM
I'd like to think he's a giant.
9. jazzman - July 16, 2009 4:46 PM
kinda reminds me of the time i use to soak my hand in alcohol and set it a blaze!!!
10. phoring - July 16, 2009 4:49 PM
Thanks for the free science lesson!
11. nofoullanguage - July 16, 2009 4:50 PM
@6: FTW.
12. STOMPY - July 16, 2009 4:58 PM
Nitrogen is from the two latin compounds Nitres, which means Blows, and genus, which means Sorta. Since Latin is based on a similar tongue, Mexican, it is backwords, so it literally means Totally Sucks.
13. Tinkerballs - July 16, 2009 5:00 PM
lol why the voice mod? so confused... but cool shtuff.
14. mike - July 16, 2009 5:29 PM
i keep waiting for him to be like... isn't that a fun lesson? ok, now i am going to eat your children.
15. LSDiesel - July 16, 2009 5:49 PM
@14, I was expecting to hear the same thing. Or at least just a see frozen baby in the background.
16. BakaFishy - July 16, 2009 5:52 PM
Weird, but cool. You wouldnt catch me trying it though.
http://bakafishy1.mybrute.com
17. greg - July 16, 2009 5:59 PM
OH MY GOD
IT ONLY COULD BE DART VADER!!!
18. Mike Hawk - July 16, 2009 6:41 PM
i wonder if his nail polish helped any
19. Jerry - July 16, 2009 6:43 PM
Who wants to bet he dips his junk in that....
http://bootelicious.mybrute.com
20. fatus_mcnuggets - July 16, 2009 7:39 PM
i want a liquiy nitrogen bath
ill throw in my pizza scented bubble bath
and lure some tantilizing :o)
21. Jonny S - July 16, 2009 7:44 PM
nice, voice sorta reminds me of saw
22. Ben - July 16, 2009 7:57 PM
He's like cross between Xerxes from 300 and Stuart from MadTV...
Leonidas, I will make you warlord of all Greece for I am a generous god, also LOOK WHAT I CAN DO!
23. Pew³ - July 16, 2009 8:03 PM
See how safe this is, I can do this over and over. My hand is feeling a little colder but I can still manage to pouAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH IT BURNS!!!! IT BURNS!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH
24. Daisy - July 16, 2009 8:31 PM
FAKE!!!!
This is a complete photoshop job. You can tell its a fake because the shadow's are all wrong.
This is exactly like that scene in the movie Never Back Down where Max was arguing with hannibal about flying in an airplane, and while he wasn'tlooking Face gave him an injection, and he woke up on the plane in the air.
25. Jesse - July 16, 2009 9:14 PM
I've experienced this effect first-hand. Not hand-dipping, but I had liquid nitrogen poured over my palm. It felt like hot water.
Yeah, my science class rocked!
26. Dean Malenko - July 16, 2009 9:29 PM
I'm glad he took the time to get a Manicure before the taping.
27. Jay - July 16, 2009 9:56 PM
yeah I have done this before.. no biggie
28. TurdMaster9000 - July 16, 2009 11:22 PM
The voice is a side effect of the massive balls needed to stick his hand in that liquid nitrogen.
29. Dominck - July 17, 2009 2:17 AM
@3 I tried that...trust me its not so pleasant. Popsicle anyone?
30. Erica - July 17, 2009 3:54 AM
GROSSSSSSSSSS what a freaky fracking voice
31. thechevron - July 17, 2009 4:12 AM
me thinks someone wants to play a little game.
32. Photocopier - July 17, 2009 4:19 AM
I've tried this before aswell, I don't see why you reported it -it's not like it's new or anything.
33. Wam - July 17, 2009 4:39 AM
Leidenfrost effect or not I would remove my freaking metallic watch before putting my hand in liquid nitrogen.
If some nitrogen had been in contact with his watch his wrist would be frozen.
Bye bye handy :)
34. kreebilicus - July 17, 2009 7:01 AM
girl hands, girl hands!
"hands that do dishes feel as soft as your face, mild transparent liquid nitrogen"
35. Jaded Icon - July 17, 2009 8:07 AM
@ 23
What! Again? You did the exact same thing to your other hand two days ago! We just got back from the hospital and you told me "that's why God gave us two". Now look at you, NOW LOOK AT YOU!!!
36. Pat - July 17, 2009 8:33 AM
Why does the guy sound like he's using one of those voice modulator that a hostage negotiator would use?
37. t-1000 - July 17, 2009 8:52 AM
He's using a voice modulator so the Terminators don't find out where or who he is. Everyone on team humans knows if they find out where the supplies of liquid nitrogen are kept, we're totally screwed. My lord, don't you people know anything? The only way the Decepticons started bothering us was because the supply of liquid nitrogen keeping that ginormous bastard frozen got messed with.
38. Gir - July 17, 2009 9:49 AM
He's a SHE. Girly hands.
39. awdwf - July 17, 2009 10:36 AM
My Dad is So Cool,his name is darth vader
40. otakucode - July 17, 2009 10:41 AM
>some dangerous demonstrations, such as dipping a wet finger in molten lead or blowing out a mouthful of liquid nitrogen, both enacted without injury to the demonstrator
You have a weird definition of "dangerous." It used to mean something that actually *WOULD* result in injury. Now, apparently, it just means "sounds dangerous to the uneducated."
41. Alfred - July 17, 2009 10:56 AM
When I get home, I'm going to race water drops across a skillet.
42. randomThought - July 17, 2009 11:41 AM
I was wondering what happened to Buffalo Bill. He has been found, no longer making skin suits I see.
43. DaveExile - July 17, 2009 12:55 PM
Pretty cool man. (how has no one made that quip yet)
44. anthony - July 17, 2009 2:28 PM
You sound like the Una Bomber.
Are you disguising your voice, or just naturally creepy?
Anthony.
45. greg - July 17, 2009 3:22 PM
Did he try to drink the nitrogen?
Maybe his voice was changed like helium gas
46. boosh - July 17, 2009 4:50 PM
ummmm, any1 else notice hes funky ass long fingers?!?!?! wtf wuz dat?
47. Watch-303 - July 17, 2009 7:04 PM
COOL!
48. Frank Glover - July 18, 2009 12:47 AM
That's a cool hand...Luke.
I mean, even liquid nitrogen 'steam' can't be all that warm...
49. Phoenix - July 18, 2009 7:02 AM
this dude is insane
http://tinyurl.com/qk8gdb
50. Nolan - July 19, 2009 5:51 AM
I do this all the time in my lab where I collect and freeze plant tissue. Though i have a latex glove on for a little protection. The bad thing is sometimes if the glove is wet and I touch the bottom of the container, my glove can freeze to it and I end up getting burns because it takes me an extra second to pull away. But I could just pour this stuff over my hand and it would just feel like a cool breeze because of the leidenfrost effect.
51. David - September 18, 2009 12:22 AM
WOW !! completely awesome ,insane yes but still awesome !!!
52. isis - September 18, 2009 7:37 PM
Yar...check it out up close "he" is definitely a she...those are a chic's hand's for sure and it even sound's like a chick through the modulator if u listen carefully...takes balls to do that my ass...Girl Power!
53. Nick - September 20, 2009 8:45 PM
I was in a chem lab the other day at my college and my friend dared me to stick my hand into liquid nitrogen. Without a moment's pause I did it and he was like "whoa I didn't really want you to freeze your hand off." I looked like a bad-ass because I knew science. :)
54. curious - September 24, 2009 4:19 PM
Neat but not so intelligent. I have seen someone with ice burns from doing this and it backfired. I wonder what would happen on a large porous hot sponge? Does the effect still take place or is the temperature not part of that equation?
Also do certain foods have more/less calories while frozen with liquid nitrogen?
If a food had lets say 100 calories then became frozen wouldn't it "gain" more calories?