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As I read the following missive, two words kept running through my head:
Darwin Award.

Jonah Cohen
Outreach & Public Programs Manager
Science Center of Connecticut

On Thu, 9 Oct 2003 10:11:30 -0400 William <[log in to unmask]>
writes:
> For what it's worth, Liquid Nitrogen can actually be picked up,
> popped in your mouth rolled around and spat back out.  It's something
done by
> daring physics and chem. students at some universities.  Now THAT truly
is
> dangerous - but not because the liquid nitrogen will harm you if
> done correctly (it rides around on a layer of gas due to rapid
> evaporation).  It's dangerous because if you accidentally swallow it,
it will
> normally kill you.  A student at one of my alma mater's did this, and
is the
> first known person to survive swallowing LN.  He was in the hospital
for a
> few months after.  Essentially the LN quickly evaporates acting like a
> mini-explosion inside you and the temperature differential on the
> way down your throat also causes scarred tissue and such.


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