Slog - Comments on Diet Coke and Mentos and the Blue Danube

Comment by Mr. Poe

Mr. Poe — Tue, 06 May 2008 09:00:24 -0800

Gross. I know why you like watching it.

Comment by Mike in MO

Mike in MO — Tue, 06 May 2008 09:01:00 -0800

I've always wondered about the urban legend regarding feeding Alka-Seltzer to pelicans. Do their stomachs really explode?

Comment by Clint

Clint — Tue, 06 May 2008 09:01:26 -0800

From wikipedia:

There are various theories that are debated as to the exact scientific explanation of the phenomenon; all scientists claim that it is a physical reaction and not a chemical one.[5] To form a new bubble, water molecules must push away from one another. It takes extra energy to break this surface tension. So, in other words, water resists the expansion of bubbles in the soda.

Each Mentos candy has thousands of tiny pores all over its surface. These tiny pores function as nucleation sites for carbon dioxide bubbles to form. As soon as the Mentos enter the soda, bubbles form all over their surface. They quickly sink to the bottom, causing carbon dioxide to be released by the carbonated liquid with which they come into contact along the way.

The reaction was the subject of an August 9, 2006 episode of MythBusters, a popular television program on the Discovery Channel.[6] They concluded that the caffeine, potassium benzoate, aspartame, and CO2 gas contained in the Diet Coke and the gelatin and gum arabic ingredients of the Mentos all contribute to the jet effect.[7] In addition, the MythBusters theorized that the physical structure of the Mentos is the most significant cause of the eruption. When flavored Mentos with a smooth waxy coating were tested in carbonated water, no reaction occurred, whereas standard Mentos added to carbonated water formed a small eruption, by their claim, affirming the nucleation-site theory. This was further supported when rock salt was used as an effective substitute for Mentos.[7] The experiment was also repeated in an episode of Numb3rs.[8]

Comment by Frantikgirl

Frantikgirl — Tue, 06 May 2008 09:06:58 -0800

Watch the Mythusters episode about it. They talk about the science and what causes the reaction. The crappy Youtube version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMXPOqovSBs

They also did a later episode about eating mentos and and then drinking diet coke... turns out nothing happens. Big whoop.

Comment by Fifty-Two-Eighty

Fifty-Two-Eighty — Tue, 06 May 2008 09:07:15 -0800

Thanks, Clint, you beat me to it (and saved me a lot of typing). Wonder why our intrepid journalist (Dan) couldn't Wiki this.

Comment by Grandpa

Grandpa — Tue, 06 May 2008 09:12:02 -0800

The other Slog internet entries were kind of funny because they were so dated ("'Who wants a body massage?' How random! Oh, this Homestar Runner is quite a hoot!"), but this is getting irritating.
Please, Slog, immerse yourself in the pop culture of four years ago and get it out of your system.

NEXT ON SLOG: A little bird in Tinseltown says there's going to be a sequel to the Lord of the Rings movie! Stay tuned!

Comment by Mr. Poe

Mr. Poe — Tue, 06 May 2008 09:14:43 -0800

He didn't want to find out. He wants us to enjoy the santorum eruptions as much as he does.

Comment by Murgen

Murgen — Tue, 06 May 2008 09:21:33 -0800

The most horrible YouTube videos on this, of course, are of folks who actually FIRST swallow Mentos, and THEN chug the Diet Coke, causing the resulting concoction to spew from both ends. The sacrifices people make for science . . .

Comment by UNPAID BLOGGER

UNPAID BLOGGER — Tue, 06 May 2008 09:22:00 -0800

Oh Grandpa, you're that skinny little Kenyan kicking everyone's ass at the footrace of the interwebs.

Comment by Dylan!

Dylan! — Tue, 06 May 2008 09:33:42 -0800

@9 - interwebs? Please stop perpetuating yet another stupid online cliche. What's next? Are you gonna say that #6 is an epic fail, and then post a pic of a lolcat?

Comment by K

Tue, 06 May 2008 09:41:21 -0800

but wouldn�t the evidence on these videos indicate that there�s something in Mentos or Diet Coke that renders those products unfit for human consumption?

No.

No more than putting salt in beer does. Or simply shaking up a bottle of soda for that matter.

That's not saying that, say, soda *is* perfectly fit for consumption, but the fact that it fizzes isn't really evidence of that.

Comment by PA Native

PA Native — Tue, 06 May 2008 09:43:03 -0800

@2. I can't speak for pelicans, but as far as my experience with seagulls goes, the answer is no.

Comment by Mike in MO

Mike in MO — Tue, 06 May 2008 09:44:33 -0800

no one wants to weigh in on the pelican/Alka-Seltzer thing?

Comment by DanFan

DanFan — Tue, 06 May 2008 09:49:12 -0800

The same thing happens (admittedly on a smaller scale) when you mix vinegar and baking soda. Both of them are staples of the American diet! ...although, not by themselves of course...

Comment by Hartiepie

Hartiepie — Tue, 06 May 2008 09:51:35 -0800

Oh c'mon you guys and ease up on Grampy Savage here. It ain't easy being au courant with everything when you've got a job and family and a bunch of years. There's only one FUCK in the entire post so he obviously is slowing down. Maybe Geritol is indicated....

Comment by Hartiepie

Hartiepie — Tue, 06 May 2008 09:51:52 -0800

Comment by w7ngman

w7ngman — Tue, 06 May 2008 09:52:21 -0800

#6 was good, and #10 only got better.

I never even got the "interwebs" thing. It's made up. It's either "internets" or "a series of tubes". Kids these days...

Comment by Rev. Syung Myung Me

Rev. Syung Myung Me — Tue, 06 May 2008 09:59:14 -0800

Hey... hey hey... did you hear?

Longcat is LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG

Comment by zef81

zef81 — Tue, 06 May 2008 10:16:42 -0800

Just so you know, it works with regular coke too. The reason all these videos use diet coke is that it is easier to clean up since there is no sticky sugar involved.

Comment by Will in Seattle

Will in Seattle — Tue, 06 May 2008 10:28:47 -0800

There is no truth to the rumor that I offered Fnarf a Mentos after he drank a tall glass of Diet Coke.

None.

Really.

...

I offered to sell it to him, actually.

There's a difference twixt suicide and homicide, you see ...

Comment by Fnarf

Fnarf — Tue, 06 May 2008 10:31:28 -0800

As others have pointed out, it's the pitted surface of the Mentos. If you take one out after a quick dip in the stuff, it's amazing how much surface area there is -- huge pits all over.

The best way to do it is to drill a pencil-sized hole in the cap of the Diet Coke. Also drill a hole through your Mentos (careful! don't hold them in your hand!). Then unbend a paperclip, with a little bend on each end. String as many Mentos on it as you can, like six, with one little bend holding them on, and run the other little bend up into the cap hole from the underside, using the little bend to hold it hanging there, and screw it back on. You may need to pour a little Diet Coke out to leave room. Then unbend the clip so all six Mentos drop in at once. Depending on the size of your hole, you'll get more or less height from your blast. Six should be enough to empty it.

Comment by Fnarf

Fnarf — Tue, 06 May 2008 10:35:42 -0800

Oh, and you can lay off Dan for being late to the intarwebs. This is NEW; it's shot with the new Casio EX-F1 at 1200 frames per second, which is fascinating.

Comment by josh bomb

josh bomb — Tue, 06 May 2008 10:38:57 -0800

i see what you're doing there.

Comment by Joe in DE

Joe in DE — Tue, 06 May 2008 10:58:41 -0800

It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye.

Comment by Will in Seattle

Will in Seattle — Tue, 06 May 2008 11:21:50 -0800

Only Fnarf would drill holes in his drinks and candies ... and put out Joe in DE's eye.

Comment by Toe Tag

Toe Tag — Tue, 06 May 2008 11:23:33 -0800

You need to watch more television. "Mythbusters" covered this a couple of years ago.

Comment by spamtastic

spamtastic — Tue, 06 May 2008 11:35:31 -0800

Hey Dan, ingestion of both is definitely not fatal, it just makes you kind of puffy and bloated. There's definitely enough belly porn on YouTube to confirm that, if you're interested.

Comment by Kelly

Kelly — Tue, 06 May 2008 16:01:43 -0800

my little brother says his friend drank a thing of diet coke and then ate a handful of mentos. he got so gassy he threw up all over the place.