Daily Tech: Students Break Mentos and Coke World Record

GeekSugar — Fri, 09 May 2008 12:32:47 -0700

Labeled as one of the biggest science experiments ever, 1500 students from Belgium dropped mints into bottles of Coke in an attempt to break the world record. - Telegraph UK
Apple Canada Inc. will be giving a $45 reimbursement to Canadians who purchased one of the first third generation iPods before June 24, 2004. Supposedly the batteries in this model died after three hours of use. - CrunchGear
Switched gives its rundown of the top 12 gadget picks for mom this Mother's Day! - Switched
After checking out HTC's Touch Diamond in London this week, I have to say there were many similarities between it and the iPhone. TechDigest lists some of the pros and cons of each mobile. - TechDigest
A DIY master created this fully functional NES controller coffee table. If only a bigger controller meant Mario could run faster! - Engadget

Mentos Geyser Experiment Turned Into Toy

GeekSugar — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 11:00:38 -0700

You've seen the famous YouTube video of the Mentos geyser experiment, right? You know the one that combines Mentos and diet soda to create an explosive geyser of foam. Well, while you were wondering if the same thing could happen in your stomach, inventors were turning it into a toy for the tots. The Geyser Tube, a device that promises to make soda geysers soar to over 30 feet in the air, has just been released and hopes to capitalize on our culture’s obsession with the messy science experiment.

Apparently, Steve Spangler brought the Mentos reaction to the limelight when he did the experiment live on NBC affiliate KUSA-TV in 2005. The video was later featured on VH1 and MTV, and served as a catalyst (har har, get it?) for thousands of other people to try it for themselves. Spangler and a group of teachers invented a new device, which they say “not only makes the Mentos geyser experiment foolproof but also promises heights that would be difficult for most people to achieve on their own.” read more

The Geyser Tube comes complete with a roll of Mentos and instructions to explain the science behind all of the fun and is only $5. The Geyser Tube creates high-flying soda eruptions because it fastens securely to the top of a 2-liter bottle of soda and has a clever design that maintains high pressure inside the bottle as the geyser erupts. A trigger pin allows the geyserist to set off the reaction from a distance or to create a chain reaction of erupting geysers. If only I was in 5th grade again.