Boom goes the Coke bottle

As a returning columnist I should probably be providing you with some fresh social commentary or stunning insight into a critical flaw in political policy. Perhaps a stunning literary expose would effectively mark my return to the journalistic world, but I'm going to choose a slightly more personal approach. \nFor you, my dear readers, I will reveal the most outwardly impressive and instantaneously satisfying bit of information I learned all year. Use this knowledge wisely, and carry it with you wherever you travel.\nHere goes: If you empty a box of Mentos into a two-liter bottle of coke, you can witness an awe-inspiring explosion of fizz that you would have never, ever thought possible. \nIt makes sense that two excessively processed products would create some kind of freak chemical reaction and explode, but I never thought it would be so damn entertaining to watch. This experiment could do more as an inspiring experiment to bring kids to study chemistry than baking soda volcanoes ever could.\nI know that the most skeptical readers will reject the exploding coke bottle as some kind of myth, but the science is there as well. Carbon dioxide is injected at high pressure into our favorite soft drinks and it remains in suspension in the liquid. When Mentos, which have a surface full of tiny pores, is introduced into the liquid it allows for the gas to form little pockets and be released from suspension. \nIf you aren't big on science or cleaning up after a pop explosion, a quick internet search can provide you with multiple versions of this experiment. My personal favorite is a demo done by Mentos and Coke expert and TV personality Steve Spangler that shoots up 16 feet and almost destroys a half million dollar camera. Now that's reality television I can get behind. \nNever content to merely watch, me and some of my fellow coworkers attempted this experiment with startling success over Lake Monroe. Dean Wyatte and Zach Rhodes, the original source of information and inspiration for this feat, can say with authority, watching the spray online is nothing compared to seeing it in person. You owe to yourself and the people you love.\nJust imagine, at your next party or social gathering you can impress that guy/girl you've been eyeing by luring her outside and shooting off an explosion of Coke. When they inevitably ask you how it works, you'll know. Explain the science to them and watch as they become amazed at your intellect! It's foolproof!\nWhy not pick out your favorite young member of your extended family and show them this trick? I should probably put a ton of disclaimers here, but my honest opinion is that every kid should do this, preferably hunched behind their house with a couple other kids egging them on. That's how I prefer to see science, as a group's crazy misadventure into an uncertain future, not sure about the results but just looking to see a \ngood show.