Creating original art in an original manner is a unique skill. In this
case, what is needed is insanely hot aluminum and some melons. Yep, you
read that correctly. Melons. This delicious fruit is not the first thing that comes to mind when I think of art. Lucky for us, some people can think outside of the box, resulting in this activity:
Not something I would have ever considered…
Different melons create different patterns. Thanks to The Backyard Scientist, we are given a firsthand look at how this all works. Let’s start with a watermelon:
I love that even The Backyard Scientist doesn’t know what is going to happen. I predicted an explosion as well. Instead what came out was very similar to when the same molten substance is poured into an ant hill:
Yep. This is the inside of an ant hill.
(Click here for more information about ant hill castings).
But what is the result of pouring scalding aluminum into a honeydew and a cantaloupe? Well, it doesn’t explode… but what is created is quite different. Again, here is a video from The Backyard Scientist:
There are two things that I find interesting about this process:
1. Apparently it smells horrible! I have made recipes with grilled melon and onion and it did not stink; on the contrary, it smells quite nice. I’ll dig up the recipe if anyone is interested…
2. You would think that a cantaloupe and a honey dew would produce similar results. They are similar in size and have a very similar interior (a webbing of seeds surrounded by deliciousness). So why the difference in outcomes? One looks like a giant seed (or a hand grenade) and the other looks like a molten blob of goo. My only thought concerning this may concern the temperature of the melons. Perhaps the cantaloupe was cold, while the honeydews were at outdoor temperature. Or maybe it is just the difference in the thickness of skin that causes some sort of different reaction.
Regardless of smell and outcome, this is quite a innovative art form and something worth exploring. It is unique and beautiful.
However, I do wish there was a way to make the remains of the melons edible… and far less stinky.
Source: The Backyard Scientist.
