Back to Show
Reactions
The Leidenfrost Effect
Season 4
Episode 13
Have you ever seen a drop of water navigate a maze? It’s possible thanks to a weird phenomenon called the Leidenfrost Effect. Understanding Leidenfrost — first described more than 200 years ago — helped engineers make more efficient steam engines. These little levitating water droplets are a big deal -- this could also help prevent future nuclear disasters.
Support Provided By

6:44
We visit St. James Cheese Company in New Orleans to learn about the chemistry of cheese.

4:22
Melatonin is a supplement that’s supposed to help you sleep. But does it work?

3:11
Airbags protect you in a car accident thanks to chemistry and a little bit of physics.

3:44
This ice burns because it’s actually methane trapped in water.

4:09
Pouring fuel over a flame can cause a ten-foot fireball to shoot out – flame jetting.

3:15
You can never buy fresh olives because of a bitter chemical called oleuropein.

3:58
There’s a sweet smell in the air after it rains: petrichor. How and why does this happen?

2:51
How do we know the half-life of uranium? Can you recover gold dissolved in acid?

2:49
Cows burp up a lot of methane, and it has huge climate change consequences.

2:52
Fermentation turns these green and black preserved eggs into real Chinese comfort food.

5:39
We’ll show you a sneak peak at what really happens in forensics science lab.

5:39
Learn how your nose can go "blind" to some smells, and how sanitizers and mouthwash work.