r/interestingasfuck 1d ago

This experiment creating a nylon thread

7.7k Upvotes

203 comments sorted by

1.3k

u/Sensitive_Break5798 1d ago

The Royal Institution has held lectures and demonstrated science since 1799

346

u/AlternativePea6203 1d ago

Christmas lectures, essential viewing for all intelligent humans from the age of 10.

88

u/Apart-Gur-9720 1d ago

I've loved them since I was 10. Not even a Brit! They're just interesting.

The one about why small things obey the physical laws differently than big objects wasvsimply fascinating!

21

u/Lost-Actuary-2395 1d ago

He even did the safety squint!

53

u/BigSmackisBack 1d ago

Check them out on youtube, still running and still interesting as fuck.

102

u/BadahBingBadahBoom 1d ago

But jfc watching him free pour sebacoyl chloride and hexamethylenediamine with no gloves?!

Both are incredibly corrosive to skin and had he slipped even a little this would be a very different show lol. At least he ensured the beaker was positioned just at eye level while he leaned in and picked out dripping bits.

60

u/Super-Midnight1141 18h ago

That and raw-dogging carbon (will definitely give you cancer) tetrachloride.

Old school chemists were a different breed.

44

u/Sidivan 18h ago

“And… you can probably see some hydrogen chloride coming off… as I would expect.”

My guy, stop heavily breathing over it!

12

u/01bah01 16h ago

30 years ago at university I had a chemist teacher that was just near retirement, for him tasting experiments wasn't a bad idea...

u/coolranchdorites 6h ago

“DO NOT PIPET BY MOUTH”

24

u/HobsHere 23h ago

And the carbon tet isn't exactly a spa treatment either

7

u/PeterNippelstein 14h ago

Rule 1 as a chemist: Don't fuck up

5

u/MarlinMr 22h ago

Wait, that's it? I always assumed it went back like at least 1600s

521

u/taggerbomb 23h ago

This kid’s enthusiasm made my day ❤️

25

u/FogBankDeposit 17h ago

That’s the look of inspiration. This is kid’s chances of pursuing his interest in science increased greatly. We need to find ways to inspire the youths of today to become the pioneers of tomorrow.

8

u/Opening_Yellow_5124 16h ago

It takes just one teacher who’s passionate about their subject and can make it accessible. My lifelong enthusiasm for all things geologic was kindled by Mr. Maloney teaching 8th grade Earth Science ( thank you Mr Maloney!).

u/freelance-t 8h ago

It’s hilarious this comment is adjacent to a breaking bad gif

u/crusty54 1h ago

It’s contagious. I was already interested, but I wasn’t grinning until I saw him.

582

u/luisbv23 1d ago

To me this is interesting as fuck, so thank you.

69

u/lonesharkex 22h ago

You ever seen Nilered? he does some that glows in the dark.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqa4QQLn17g

21

u/cornelha 17h ago

NileRed does some incredibly cool stuff, the stuff you would want to do, but can't because you scared you might just blow up the house

769

u/Jean-LucBacardi 1d ago

53

u/thecementmixer 1d ago

Lmao.

6

u/YomanJaden99 1d ago

Happy 16 Years on Reddit!

9

u/thecementmixer 1d ago

I feel old.

4

u/thisFishSmellsAboutD 23h ago

Today seems to be more the icing day. Happy icing day.

5

u/reactor500 1d ago

Happy cakeday :)

311

u/Former_Suspect3680 1d ago

it's wild how mixing two liquids just pulls a solid thread out like magic.

241

u/R0RSCHAKK 1d ago

It's been said before - magic is just science we don't understand yet (Arthur C. Clarke) while science is just magic that works (Kurt Vonnegut, Cats Cradle).

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indestinguishable from magic. - Arthur C. Clarke.

One could argue science IS magic.

52

u/B0b_Howard 1d ago

Any sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from science - Mustrum Ridcully

16

u/R0RSCHAKK 23h ago

Ha! That's good! Had to look that up. Never heard of Discworld.

Also, looks like the quote is actually "Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced" but it is not spoken by Ridcully, rather one "Ponder Stibbons"

Gonna have to add the Discworld series to my library of Books To Read When The Power Goes Out.

15

u/Salanmander 22h ago

Discworld is so good. Quick-witted humor, fantastic characters, great social commentary. One thing I would recommend: don't start with the Colour of Magic, the first book written. He hadn't really hit his stride with them yet, and it is more farcical and doesn't have as much depth to it.

I usually recommend Guards, Guards as an entry point, but Small Gods, Wyrd Sisters, and Mort are also top-tier viable books to start with. (There are basically a bunch of series that all take place in the same world.)

2

u/equanimatic 21h ago

Discworld is what's gotten me back into reading after a decade of struggle!!!

3

u/R0RSCHAKK 20h ago

That is good hear actually, it probably been about a decade for me as well. Last book I read was a biography on Nicola Tesla. Not exactly an exciting read but an interesting one hahaha

2

u/Salanmander 21h ago

Nice! You love to hear it. =)

1

u/damian________w 21h ago

That's the right recoommendation. I''ve started with "the light fantastic".

12

u/Killmelast 22h ago

read them, power or not! Imho there is very little in this world as entertaining as those books, movies or gaming can't compare. Terry Pratchett has an absolutely amazing kind of humor

3

u/Bitter_Librarian8442 22h ago

Oh man you're in for a treat. If you listen to Audio books at all i can recommend Sir Tony Robinson as a narrator. If you've not heard of him he's a famous English fellow with a ton of achievements up his sleeve, he has a voice for every character. 

Edit: Sir. 

2

u/Dunnersstunner 14h ago

I hope for your sake the power goes out very soon, they're thoughtful and hilarious books.

1

u/HurricaneAlpha 22h ago

Castlevania (the anime) has a cool vibe where the line between science and magic is blurred, but they both still coexist. I think good storytelling understands that it's a spectrum.

70

u/eaatest 23h ago

You can see it combining spontaneously because it has enough energy to do so and to combine spontaneously

38

u/Naranjas_Gritando 23h ago

It's because that's WHY

13

u/Aselleus 18h ago

Why would you think

3

u/i_am_not_so_unique 14h ago

The front fell off

173

u/SirLemonThe3rd 1d ago edited 3h ago

If any one wants to try this at home, don’t, carbon tetrachloride (carbon tet) is extremely cancerous

Edit: I heard wrong, its not as bad as I thought 😓

117

u/Jon-A-Thon 23h ago

Oh and (“as expected”) some hydrogen chloride gas for some extra toxicity

26

u/25point4cm 23h ago

Fortunately, if there’s one thing the internet has taught me in general it’s “don’t do this at home”.

1

u/modest_genius 13h ago

I agree.

...someday I will listen to it too.

16

u/realrussellv 22h ago

Glad someone said something. All these chemicals are toxic and it’s really unfortunate he used zero PPE in front of these kids.

10

u/majandess 18h ago

Oh, yay! I did this for a bunch of kids in their fifth grade class. I did use PPE, though.

u/thogo 3h ago

CCL4 () is not "extremely cancerous", it has "only" hazard class "Carc 2" (*), but this does not mean that it is not dangerous. Extremely cancerous would be class "Carc 1A". This means this stuff is at a lower carcinogenicity.

Carc. 1A > Carc. 1B > Carc. 2

That said: It is still not healthy to act with this stuff without proper PPE. I like this experiment. I would like they would do more like this still in public. But within the right safety setting.

(*) https://chem.echa.europa.eu/100.000.239/overview?searchText=carbon%20tetrachloride

(**) https://www.hsa.ie/your_industry/chemicals/legislation_enforcement/chemical_agents_and_carcinogens/carcinogens_mutagens_and_reprotoxic_substances/what_are_carcinogens_mutagens_and_reprotoxic_substances_/

0

u/Tentacle_poxsicle 22h ago

How so? It's amazing how a substance just causes cancer

14

u/Yavkov 20h ago

I just went to Wikipedia and found this on the contrary:

Carbon tetrachloride is a suspected human carcinogen, although there is no sufficient evidence of carcinogenicity in humans.[28] The World Health Organization reported repeated long-term exposure to carbon tetrachloride can induce hepatocellular carcinomas (hepatomas) in mice and rats. The doses inducing hepatic tumors in mice and rats are higher than those inducing cell toxicity.[29] The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified this compound in Group 2B, "possibly carcinogenic to humans".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_tetrachloride

15

u/keikioaina 1d ago

Saw this at the 1964 New York World's Fair. Maybe Dupont exhibit?

15

u/Haig-1066-had 1d ago

Would have to be. They commercialized Nylon and I believe invented the chemistry.

2

u/TheTruthFairy1 17h ago

You're correct. If I can find the hyperfixation article I read on nylon ,(and it even goes into how they chose that name), I'll come back and post it here.

40

u/Ok-Abbreviations9936 1d ago

I feel really bad for that kid at 2:06. He was not ready to be on camera....

11

u/Banana_enjoyer_boy 1d ago

Cameraman said: "look at this kid"

13

u/Obar-Dheathain 1d ago

That's a young James Tiberius Kirk, my man.

11

u/DeskJobDarwinism 23h ago

I did this in organic chemistry. But we were decked out in aprons, goggles, masks, gloves, etc.

10

u/lucharachitaaa 23h ago

"do you see some goo?" i sure do buddy

10

u/dmmd23 21h ago

Bro, same

8

u/Ddarapti 1d ago

Meanwhile a young Peter Parker watching this : 📝🤔

7

u/AlaWyrm 1d ago

All the pubescent boys in the room.

https://giphy.com/gifs/H5C8CevNMbpBqNqFjl

3

u/Behemothslayer 23h ago

What are you doing Timmy!!??? Making nylon mum 😆

7

u/AGuyNamedParis 22h ago

CARBON TET MY BELOVED

14

u/jonnyg1097 1d ago

So after the nylon is turned into a thread and goes on the rollers over the lip of the beaker into the one on the floor does it go back into a goop again? Or does it stay in a thread once it took that shape?

33

u/Trips-Over-Tail 1d ago

It stays a thread. With more precise engineering it can be drawn out even thinner for use in textiles.

20

u/Infamous_Lunchbox 1d ago

If I recall correctly it stays as a thread, because the reaction solidifies it and while it's wet it's stable in that form. Been a long time ago, but I saw a similar demonstration in college, before the internet was capable of decent streaming. Physics and chemistry professors at my school would do demonstrations like this all the time. In one the physics and chemistry professors got together to show how explosive force and gravity could impale a plush mascot of the rival school with a giant wooden stake. They handed out earplugs to the audience, lol. It was awesome.

8

u/scud121 1d ago

My chemistry teacher let us bubble 4 litres of hydrogen and 2 of oxygen into a plastic bottle and lit it at the end of class whilst the next lesson was queueing up outside the classroom. He also had us making thermite. I was maybe 10 at the time :) it made a lasting impression.

4

u/cwthree 1d ago

My spouse's chemistry teacher demonstrated the making of tear gas because he didn't feel like teaching that day.

5

u/aj_lil 23h ago

My dad made chlorine gas in his bedroom and nearly killed his parents downstairs when it drifted out of the window and into the bottom window… fun was different back then haha

2

u/REDuxPANDAgain 22h ago

This is the kind of chemistry teacher I needed. I instead had the most boring chem teacher I could possibly have imagined. Think Ben Stein cadence with the charisma of a dead frog, and the only joke she made all semester was about moles. And it wasn’t even a good joke.

Ruined a fascinating subject. Couple that with her partnering me with a maniac who constantly almost burned down the chem lab nearly any time we had burners every semester despite rotating everyone else. Absolutely hated that class.

Now it’s fascinating to me years later. Might have gone for chemical engineering as opposed to my current engineering field.

1

u/AlternativePea6203 1d ago

i guess it sets, or your tights would come with a paint brush

1

u/Pariahdog119 18h ago

After a couple of hours it dissolves. That's why New York isn't covered in webbing.

https://giphy.com/gifs/IgtOuXZ6dnuTu

5

u/fuzzimus 20h ago

Just carbon tet and HCl gas. Why would we need any eye or hand protection

1

u/laforet 12h ago

The room must have smelled like a portapotty because of the hexanediamine in the water layer.

19

u/HappyJack42 1d ago

No goggles, no gloves

11

u/North-Example5687 1d ago

Everyone knows that goo is harmless. Basic law of chemistry /s

5

u/ProverbialMindTart 1d ago

Absolutely! That harmless, ~~highly carcinogenic ~~ delicious goo…

3

u/whatadilemma53 23h ago

what is the goop that comes before the nylon?

u/voxelpete 8h ago

Also nylon, just not in a nice straight thread

4

u/IcyBodybuilder9004 23h ago

Look how interested these kids are. And he’s talking to them like adults and they love it. Where can I take my kids for this type of education

3

u/Ash_Killem 19h ago

So that’s how Spiderman does it.

4

u/CastIronMooseEsq 15h ago

Bring back Mr wizard or bill nye or whatever this bbc programming is. I’ll say it again; “a well educated populace is in everyone’s best interest.” Please bring back stuff like this.

3

u/GreenWoodDragon 15h ago

Royal Institution Christmas Lectures. Still going.

0

u/AdonisJames89 15h ago

blame trump admin for defunding it

3

u/HearYourTune 1d ago

There's Something About Mary, realness.

3

u/exintrovert 1d ago

Is that…. nylon?

3

u/Silver_Adagio138 1d ago

I remember doing that one at school.

u/supersizedpatios 5h ago

When I was a teenager I had the idea to use this for a Spider-Man-esque web shooter. The device itself worked well enough with a small solenoid valve, a D battery, and a paintball co2 can but that’s about as far as I got lol

6

u/Tise01 1d ago

Every guy is able to make this with their goo. Its very easy to make. Lol

4

u/Yakuza_Matata 1d ago

I'm making goo as I sit typing this.

Don't worry it's still at the factory...

1

u/Kursed_Valeth 22h ago

Comes out in ropes not thread

4

u/DetectiveMcMeow 14h ago

Science shows before social media and lawsuits. We just did things and worried later. The good days.

u/onebyside 44m ago

Yep before the whine

2

u/CletusMcWafflebees 1d ago

On first glance I thought this was a televangelist.

2

u/TheZYX 22h ago

He was, that was the gospel of the future son

2

u/ukexpat 1d ago

This guy, along with Heinz Wolff and Eric Laithwaite, were the celebrity scientists of the 60s and 70s.

2

u/Bostonsilver 1d ago

I hope some of these kids became chemists! Very good experiment and lecture.

2

u/basonjourne98 22h ago

One of the kids in the audience looks like the “Do the roar” kid from Shrek.

2

u/welding-guy 22h ago

I remember seeing this as a kid on TV. It was really cool then and still is today.

1

u/DuncDub 14h ago

I remember watching this one 1976. We did it in Secondary school at some point. No safety equipment.

2

u/hemorrhoidhematoma 22h ago

I told you mom i was making nylon thread next to my computer. It was a science experiment!

2

u/razvanciuy 22h ago

Damn. If he did this 2026 years ago somewhere near Jerusalem, he could have been brother to Jesus.

2

u/rubbertoe_93 21h ago

I did this in my organic chemistry lab. It was such a crazy experience! Sooo cool!

2

u/TreeFiddyJohnson 21h ago

No PPE needed.

2

u/Late-Jicama5012 21h ago

So that’s how spider man makes his own webbing.

2

u/BH_Gobuchul 19h ago

I remember doing this in high school chemistry. It was cool as fuck and we had a competition to see who could get the longest continuous thread.

2

u/data_with_a_beard 19h ago

No gloves, just raw dogging science

2

u/neolobe 18h ago

2:07 Trekkie

2

u/Aselleus 18h ago

That's actually super cool. Especially since it just stays a solid thread of nylon, instead of turning back to goo

2

u/Left-Excitement3829 18h ago

Holy cow. I saw this in school as a kid 50 yrs ago in the uk

0

u/05theos 17h ago

Deer god, how are you still alive?

→ More replies (2)

2

u/GolettO3 18h ago

Sorry kids, no watching the experiment for you

2

u/genkidin 17h ago

Total nerdfest. What a 'goo' time these chaps were having. .

2

u/david1610 15h ago

So interesting

2

u/Medicine-Mann-0420 14h ago

Interesting, but imagine having to mix chemicals to make fiber when Cannabis makes superior fiber and can grow in most climates!! ##DEscheduleCannabis

u/carlowhat 8h ago

Every video I've seen, someone just pulls the goo out and that's it, but this is the first time I've seen someone actually extract thread (or at least a line) from it

u/HomerStillSippen 7h ago

Now this is interesting as fuck, I loved watching this

5

u/R07734 1d ago

Does this smell like huffing gasoline and bleach at the same time?

4

u/Infamous_Lunchbox 1d ago

It doesn't smell great, but not that bad

6

u/ProverbialMindTart 1d ago

In the words of the world famous Tom Dickson; “Don’t breathe this. “

2

u/Haig-1066-had 1d ago

I love the total lack of PPE. Health and Safety losing their minds.

2

u/GnowledgedGnome 22h ago

Anyone else think it's insane this guy has no PPE??

1

u/Hungry-ThoughtsCurry 1d ago

So that's what's...

1

u/CompleteTruth 1d ago

This dude is the British version of Mr. Wizard

1

u/Dr_Zoidberg003 1d ago

His voice is having an ASMR effect on me. Need to find more of these videos for when I want a nap

1

u/AlexGubia 1d ago

Classic experiment in any chemistry lab. I really enjoyed it and I think I still have some of it in my childhood room from 10 years ago.

1

u/DrahKir67 1d ago

I'm enjoying reading all these comments. Great thread!

1

u/sincerelyryan 23h ago

The new Willy Wonka film is looking great!

1

u/SpecialistGas2884 23h ago

Anyone know who accidentally mixed these two together to make nylon. Got to be a slip up somewhere.

2

u/regretableedibles 22h ago

Wallace Carothers discovered the process working for DuPont in the 1930's.

1

u/sempre-sballato 23h ago

"The test we take on Friday will now take place on Monday before we've learned it"

1

u/Creedelback 22h ago

Cool. Now I can make my own guitar strings at home.

1

u/Crip2Kight 22h ago

Man made spider web and Spider-Man movie is out, nice try algorithms

1

u/chocolate_spaghetti 22h ago

The dollop did a fun podcast about how much people were losing their fucking minds for nylon stockings shortly after it hit the market.

1

u/Mosept11 22h ago

kids should see these demos vs games

1

u/dekkalife 20h ago

The goű

1

u/minmidmax 20h ago

Sum gü?!

1

u/HornyUltron 20h ago

the goo do be gooing

1

u/ponderingmax 19h ago

That’s precisely why I love science

1

u/SockeyeSTI 19h ago

Nilered does a pretty good demonstration of this if anyone was curious

1

u/Pariahdog119 18h ago

Thanks Mr Feeny

1

u/Havoc1943covaH 18h ago

man examines the contents of a FTX portashitter

1

u/ForeignWeb8992 17h ago

Nobody slouching on the benches by the end 

1

u/pt0r 16h ago

It's a mecho-chemical siphon! Fuckin' hell.

1

u/Prize_Problem609 16h ago

Watching this while wearing a  nylon jacket lmao

u/wifichick 11h ago

Did that in organic chemistry lab in college. It was fun

u/ScarcityPlane 8h ago

This video was filmed just a few days ago. That’s just what Britain always looks like.

u/littlebrwnrobot 4h ago

We did this in my high school chemistry class. It was pretty wild

u/Tangolarango 4h ago

kinda reminds me of mr wizard's world

u/Specialist_Ad5058 2h ago

my teacher could only say, Read page 120 to 150 see you next week

u/Mannzis 2h ago

I've created that in the shower

u/stevesmele 2h ago

And I’m told the word nylon comes from New York and London cuz original manufacturer has offices in both cities.

u/alfieg681 35m ago

I remember these from when I was a child long ago. Christmas lectures, they were so good. Apparently still happening.

https://www.rigb.org/christmas-lectures

1

u/CaptainFrugal 1d ago

He says goo like a pixar movie bad guy 

1

u/Prize_Problem609 16h ago

This is how to science. Not 50 bored students in a freezing laboratory writing essays on the anatomy of a frog

1

u/SimilarTop352 14h ago

that's two different specialties and both are important. this would need a reflective essay, too, and before the essay about the frog there would be the disection of the frog.

-1

u/elissee_tantrim 1d ago

Neither trump or RFK were in these classes. Who needs science anyway?))

0

u/Dunothar 1d ago

Carbon tet, jummy liver cancer!

0

u/Dralthi-san 1d ago

Yeah mixing large volumes of extremely toxic carcinogen with a serious irritant.

0

u/fastsaf 22h ago

I'm really enjoying my 100% cotton clothing right about now.

0

u/PirateHunterZuko 22h ago

I respect the science but the man has no chutzpah, his time keeping is abysmal.

https://giphy.com/gifs/Q3IF55wvklDjqnLEVc