Make a Spoon Disappear

Feb 28, 2011 03:12 AM

If you're willing to shell out for a mind-blowing party trick, here's another great one to add to your repertoire. Unfortunately this isn't a dirt cheap junk drawer DIY—you'll need a $40-$60 gallium kit (which doesn't include the spoon mold). What is gallium, you may ask? An amazing, man-made metal which melts at the low temperature of 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Plunk your trick spoon into a cup of hot water, and amaze.

According to the Department of Energy, it's safe to handle as long as you don't inject or drink it:

"Gallium toxicology was also researched. Gallium metal is insoluble in water; consequently

gallium is not readily absorbed through the skin. Eye contact with, or inhalation of, gallium dust

or powder may cause irritation. Subcutaneous implantation of gallium metal or alloy in guinea

pigs caused necrosis in situ.15 Therefore, care should be exercised to avoid injecting gallium

through the skin (i.e., preclude puncture or incision wounds that leave gallium contamination in

the wound). Gallium has temporary emergency exposure limits (TEELs): TEEL-0 is 10 mg/m3,

TEEL-1 is 30 mg/m3, TEEL-2 is 50 mg/m3, and TEEL-3 is 250 mg/m3. Gallium oxide also has

TEELs; they are the same as for gallium metal, except TEEL-3 is 500 mg/m3.16 Gallium does not

pose any large toxicological hazard in use."

VIA We Interrupt.

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