News: Make a Spoon Disappear

If you're willing to shell out for a mind-blowing party trick, here's another great one to add to your repertoire. Unfortunately this isn't a dirt cheap junk drawer DIY—you'll need a $40-$60 gallium kit (which doesn't include the spoon mold). What is gallium, you may ask? An amazing, man-made metal which melts at the low temperature of 86 degrees Fahrenheit. Plunk your trick spoon into a cup of hot water, and amaze.

According to the Department of Energy, it's safe to handle as long as you don't inject or drink it:

"Gallium toxicology was also researched. Gallium metal is insoluble in water; consequently
gallium is not readily absorbed through the skin. Eye contact with, or inhalation of, gallium dust
or powder may cause irritation. Subcutaneous implantation of gallium metal or alloy in guinea
pigs caused necrosis in situ.15 Therefore, care should be exercised to avoid injecting gallium
through the skin (i.e., preclude puncture or incision wounds that leave gallium contamination in
the wound). Gallium has temporary emergency exposure limits (TEELs): TEEL-0 is 10 mg/m3,
TEEL-1 is 30 mg/m3, TEEL-2 is 50 mg/m3, and TEEL-3 is 250 mg/m3. Gallium oxide also has
TEELs; they are the same as for gallium metal, except TEEL-3 is 500 mg/m3.16 Gallium does not
pose any large toxicological hazard in use."

VIA We Interrupt.

More party tricks:

• Make Liquid Smoke In a Glass (Best Bar Trick EVER).
• Learn 10 Awesome Science Tricks in 4 Minutes.