Chemical Curiosities: Surprising Science and Dramatic Demonstrations



Professor Chris Bishop, presenter of the 2008 Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, leads us through a spectacular tour of the curious, and sometimes surprising, world of chemistry.
Please help us transcribe this lecture: http://www.youtube.com/timedtext_video?v=ti_E2ZKZpC4

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24 Comments

  1. Wonderful lecture, however two points are misrepresented, when the solution went from liquid to crystal that was not a chemical reaction but a phase change of a supersaturated solution (technically thermodynamics). Second the superconducting magnet also did not undergo any chemical change instead it was a physical one as it was cooled. Otherwise outstanding.

  2. and an engineering tip. you can put graphene particulates on top of your plastic solution and draw up the graphene with the spooled chemical plastic while it's in environmental change. spooled hybrid graphene plastic. easy process to increase a plastics properties.

  3. I say you take my idea of accelerated erosion as a method of converting trash to simple molecules to be further processed. this process can accelerate erosion up to 60k PSI+ per second. using water. water cutting at high pressure(p/s) watch trash instantly turn to wet dust. given enough water pressure it would tear it down to molecule size easily. turn it back into usable dirt(normalized). minus the most profitable materials. which get recycled. it is a way to rid this world of 'most of its trash. like HAZMAT material should be sorted first. just to make it's safe. inspected before destruction of trash. all water used can be recycled(self contained) in the system so there's no water/air pollution. nothing survives the water beam at 60k PSI(Arrayed printer rack) moving all the high pressure nozzle(array) around where needed. can you fit this project on your desk? a beam 'wall of water at 60k PSI+ would work just as well for other materials like cars. watch the car disappear when it hits the water wall beam line eroded into wet dust in seconds.

  4. Can a reaction ever go backwards. Yes it can. But, it need energy to be added.

    Some reactions can use heat like he describes with Sodium acetate. Or his sodium hydroxide turned to sodium bicarbonate with dry ice can be turned back to sodium hydroxide and carbondixide with heat.

    Some reactions use electricity such as after mixing sodium hydroxide with hydrochloric acid makes sodium chloride, but the energy from electricity can drive the reaction backwards to sodium hydroxide and chlorine gas that goes into making hydrochloric acid.

  5. We will start, if you please, with a first principle. Rather than faulty Axioms. Pushed by Government talking heads with their own agenda! You cannot defeat the Truth with Theories. YouTube Pete & Peter! For an unbiased, undiluted uncovering of these fallacious mainstream claims.

  6. I am curious about stuff I’m interested in… I am what I am an that’s all that I am… as “Popeye” would say in American speak.
    I’m easily amused.
    … and may God Bless the Queen….
    I really like your sophisticated accents too.,.
    I enjoy emulating them…

  7. You are a brilliant teaching University Professor young man.
    I live in America, otherwise I would love to attend your classes.
    My Great, Great uncle was ‘Sir Humphrey Davy’, btw…
    Maybe that’s why I’m so fascinated…. or maybe not (not)… I just love learning.
    May God bless you, fine sir.

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