TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - Every Wednesday, Meteorologist Max Tsaparis shares some cool science with us. This week, we are talking about a camera man getting a little too close to some lava, some silent wind turbines, and a corn starch flame thrower.
A cameraman in New Zealand had a close call after a burst of lava almost rained over him. This volcano on the remote island of Ambrym and ejects lava at a temperature of nearly 15 hundred degrees Fahrenheit. Luckily the thrill-seeker was able to make it out safely with quite the story to tell and his go-pro footage to go along with it.
Wind turbines are at the forefront of sustainable energy but conventionally they are an eye-sore and loud. But a French company has created what they call a "wind tree". Each tree has 72 artificial leaves that capture the wind and due to their small size, they can generate power from a gentle breeze less than 5 miles per hour. So far, prototypes have only been deployed in Paris but the company hopes other cities will want to construct them soon.
Finally, we looked at a flamethrower that runs on corn starch. Corn starch isn't by itself flammable but when blown, an open flame will react with the increased surface area of the particles and combust. When you combine the starch with a leaf blower and a blowtorch, a dangerous weapon can be created. But please, do not to try this at home.
For more fun Tscience, tune into Tsaparis Tscience every Wednesday morning on WTXL's Sunrise.
