Comments on: What Has Been Seen Cannot Be Unseen

By: Darth Xavriel

Darth Xavriel — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 04:53:58 +0000

Meheheh. My aunt taught me about this when I was, like, 6.

Sometimes it works better than others, though. Not sure why that is. Foam density? Soda chemical composition?

By: Barix

Barix — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 14:36:30 +0000

For dealing with other people’s sodas, I found sticking in a straw and gently stirring it around helps somewhat. It’s not as effective as the finger trick but it does save some time while avoiding sanitary issues.

By: Thunderspank

Thunderspank — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 17:47:32 +0000

This has been a most instructional post. I am in your and Cassie’s debt.

By: bigbearbutt

bigbearbutt — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 20:56:29 +0000

Was never in college… I went straight into the Marines, and we mostly used man portable libations. Like beer in cans and hard liquor.

By: Siobhann

Siobhann — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 20:36:55 +0000

How did you get through college keg parties without knowing this? It salvages a badly poured cup of beer when someone screws up the tap (as usually happens).

By: bigbearbutt

bigbearbutt — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 13:22:08 +0000

Most people wash their hands before eating, and the hands don’t produce oils. The skin on the nose does produce oil. So, any oil on your finger was a transfer from somewhere else. Touching the nose first ensures you some oil.

By: Theodoxus

Theodoxus — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 13:18:32 +0000

QFT!

So happy it’s getting into fall weather – a KFC Pot Pie for lunch on a cold day is omg yummeh!

By: Kemonojin

Kemonojin — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 13:03:01 +0000

You can also prevent a can of non-diet soda exploding in your face by thumping the SIDES of the can, not the top. Tapping the top does nothing, basically, but all the bubbles waiting to erupt are clinging to the sides. If you plang it with your fingertips, they get knocked loose and collect at the top, and when you open it you get a big PSSHT but no shower.

There’s a youtube video showing a sciencey guy (Not Bill Nye, but that sort) demonstrating on an early morning ‘news’ show. Took two cans of seltzer from a sixer, shook them both up, handed one to the hostess and demonstrated, flicking the sides six times around the circumference with a fingertip, like flicking something off your thumb. She did it too, then they poured them into glasses to show it was still fizzy. He says don’t do it with diet sodas, the chemicals in them make the foam more tenacious.

Fat / oil makes foams collapse, which is probably at least part of why the finger works; the sides of your nose are usually the oiliest parts of your face because of the shape. But if it works from foreheads too, it probably doesn’t take much.

By: Navimie

Navimie — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 12:53:59 +0000

Wow. I must go try this.

By: Leah

Leah — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 12:25:00 +0000

same. i didn’t know you were supposed to touch your nose.. but touching foam with a finger.. I cannot even remember who taught me, it was so long ago :/ what is the purpose of touching your nose first?