Monday, January 25, 2010

Science experiment - how to make butter

Learn about science and you make your own butter. Science has never tasted so good.

Bionic Hand is a Reality

"Innovative technology often can make yesterday's science fiction into today's reality. This is particularly true with a prosthetic hand that brings to life fictional accounts of artificial, computer-driven replacement body parts. The bionic hand, called the I-Limb,was named one of the top 50 inventions this year by Time Magazine." From youtube description

Best of Dance 2009 - Austrian Hexapod Championships

Robots at third Austrian Hexapod Championships: Category Dance. The best of 2009!

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Top 10 science trick for parties

This video elaborated by Prof Richard Wiseman from the University of Hertfordshire (UK) show the best science trick that you can do to in a party to entertain your friends.

Science experiment gone wrong

Faill... Science experiment gone wrong

Very very nice optical illusions!

pharaoh's snake

That is very very dangerous.... be sure of what are you doing ....
"This is a piece of mercury thiocyanide. When decomposing, it makes large volume of ash, much larger than the piece of mercury thiocyanide itself.
By popular demand, here is a recipe to prepare mercury thiocyanide:

You need:
1. concentrated nitric acid (HNO3)
2. mercury (Hg) - from chemist or from thermometers
(alternative - buy mercury nitrate)
3. sodium or potassium thiocyanide (NaSCN or KSCN)

First, dissolve mercury in nitric acid to get mercury nitrate solution.

With concentrated nitric acid your mercury nitrate will probably crystallize - add
sufficient clean water to dissolve the crystals (say, 10 times the volume of nitric acid used).
(Alternatively: dissolve crystals of mercury nitrate in water)
In separate container, dissolve some sodium/potassium thiocyanide in water.
Add thiocyanide solution to mercury nitrate solution and mix it well.
Greyish suspension of insoluble mercury thiocyanide will form - wash with water a couple
of times (add water, mix, wait for mercury thiocyanide to separate at the bottom, decand/remove clear water, repeat.
Put paper coffee filter into funnel and filter out the mercury thiocyanide, dry iy - must be bone dry to use it.

Safety:
Nitric acid is dangerous, handle with safety glasses, wash your hands immediately if spilled.
Vapours of mercury are dangerous - best gandle on open air.
Sodium or potassium thiocyanide is not that dangerous but don't leave solution for anyone to drink!
When dissolving the mercury in nitric acid, vapours of nitrogen oxides will form - these are poisonous if inhaled.
While decomposing, mercury thiocyanide forms fumes - don't know what they contain but make sure you burn it in open air (and NOT in your bedroom! ;-) and stand against the wind to prevent the fumes from inhaling." From: youtube description video.