Today's NIOFI has us literally hanging in the balance. We're missing Angie today but she put Eric in charge of our stunts. (Yes, there's a lot to be fearful of.)
Did you know it's entirely possible to balance 10 long nails onto one another? But it's not done the way you'd think.
The only thing you'll need for this trick is 11 nails of equal size and an ordinary block of wood. Adults: nail one nail squarely into the block of wood. But nail it in just enough so that it stands upright. Now, lay one nail out and criss-cross the others side-by-side, until you only have one left. Now put that last nail opposite the first nail.
Carefully grab the set of nails and lift all of them up, gently setting it down on the nail you put into the board.
The secret here is to keep the center of gravity as low as possible. Instead of the nails going vertical (like a tippy Jenga game), we are keeping that center of gravity low with a higher chance of keeping the nails balanced.
Next Up: Did you know you can pierce an ordinary balloon without popping it?
Here's how to do it. Blow up a balloon to its normal size and tie it shut. Take a wooden skewer (like what you'd use for a shish-ka-bob) and spread some Vaseline on the entire length of it.
Insert the skewer into the balloon, opposite of the knot. Look for the darker part of the balloon that is a little thicker. Continue pushing and twisting the skewer until the tip emerges from the other end near the knot.
After you've done that, take another skewer and try it on the side of the balloon. It popped, right?
That's because the rubber in the balloon consists of linked molecules called polymers. These polymers are thicker with less tension at the ends of the balloons. This allows the skewer to break the polymer without causing the links to break.
COCKTAIL OF THE WEEK
It wouldn't be a Friday on News8@11 without our signature Cocktail of the Week! Today, Jonathan has a sweet treat for us to try. It's called RumChata® Root Beer.
Ingredients:
- 1 part RumChata
- 3 parts A&W® or Dad’s® Root Beer
Preparation: Combine over ice in a tall glass. Note: to avoid separation, pour root beer over ice first, then add RumChata to cooled root beer. A&W® or Dad’s® root beer are recommended as they seem to separate less than other brands. Enjoy!
