This video shows what happens when mercury thiocyanate decomposes while burning. It gets up to some pretty amazing antics!
Weird stuff, isn’t it?
Peter
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!
This video shows what happens when mercury thiocyanate decomposes while burning. It gets up to some pretty amazing antics!
Weird stuff, isn’t it?
Peter
Freaky!
And totally organic appearance as well!
It's ALIVE……Have the folks from the SciFi channel seen this stuff?
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 . . .
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.
A 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.
Looks like conservation of mass was violated.
WOW- Yep, definitely something for SciFi!
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).
Mildly interesting – but not unusual at all…
Sulfuric acid and sugar will do something similar, but I can't find any good videos of it.
Jebus! Does David Chronenberg know about this stuff?