Tag Archives: cold

Turned on the Heat Today

I broke down today and turned on the heat. Milo’s sniffles and an inside temperature of 63 degrees seemed like a combination for bad parenting. Currently the thermostat is set for 67 (aka the cheapskate setting) and it feels nice and toasty. Nothing like taking the edge off.

Here’s the breakdown of when we turned on the heat the last few years (I don’t know why I find this fascinating, but I do, so roll with it):

Freezing Bubbles in Minnesota

After vaporizing water a week or so back I thought I should try another cold weather science experiment. This time? Freezing bubbles. It was only -7 this morning when I tried it, so not as cold as it could be. But the bubbles still froze.

It’s hard to see from the video, but when my dog Mazie bites the bubble, you can hear a distinctive crunch. Frozen bubbles.


Freezing Bubbles from kevinhendricks on Vimeo.

For best results, blow bubbles upwards so they have more time to freeze. The frozen bubbles are like thin gossamer cellophane and are very fragile, usually shattering on impact, so it’s hard to get a good picture. Plus, floating bubbles aren’t exactly easy to photograph in the first place. Also, the colder, the better. I imagine doing this at night would have been better, both for pictures and faster freezing bubbles.

For really amazing frozen bubble pictures, check out this set of photos (via boing boing).

And yes, Mazie enjoys eating bubbles.

Vaporizing Water in Minnesota

I’ve always heard stories about it being so cold you could throw water into the air and it would vaporize instantly. Since it was 20 degrees below zero in Minnesota today, I thought I’d give it a try:


Vaporizing Water in Minnesota from kevinhendricks on Vimeo.

Most of the water vaporized but some of it crystallized, turning to ice droplets (from the sound of it, I’d guess some of it still hit the ground as liquid). So some of it turned into a cloud that drifted off and some turned to ice that fell in a slow arc to the ground.

To really pull it off, it helps to boil the water and keep it as hot as possible. And, for the record, it didn’t feel that cold outside (granted I wasn’t out for very long). Here’s a better video of this experiment.

Enjoying the Cold

I think today’s ponderings are going to be totally non-intellectual. It’s been a rather lazy Sunday, and I think I’d like to keep it that way.

Did you see the Vikings pound the Cardinals today? I’m not much of a football fan, but you have to respect a team that plays that well. They’re just entertaining to watch. I think it’s gonna be a lot of fun being in a city that wins the Superbowl.

Wow, it’s been pretty cold out there. But to everyone suffering from the frigid cold weather, I have some advice. It’s pretty good advice too, because Minnesota’s been below zero pretty much since I came back from Christmas break. It was -16 on Saturday. First of all, throw fashion out the window (which is good advice no matter the season). Sure, the nice warm hat will do some major static cling to your hair, but your ears will show no signs of frostbite. Secondly, keep your vehicle in good shape. Check those window wiper blades (I just put new ones in, and it was really easy and inexpensive), fill up on wiper fluid, and start your vehicle everyday and warm it up to keep it going in this extreme cold. Finally, don’t just huddle underneath your parka and shiver, complaining about how cold it is. Put on some long johns, and get out there and enjoy the weather! Am I nuts? No, just smart. Twice now I’ve been outside in sub-zero temperatures without a jacket. Crazy? Maybe. Just enjoying some Broomball. But no matter the sport, get out there and enjoy the weather. It may be cold, but once you move around you won’t even notice it. Cold weather is no reason to stay cooped up inside. I made that mistake last year and missed some great fun. (Mom’s Note: Just don’t be dumb about it. Be aware of frostbite and all that good stuff)