Listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's longest-running laboratory experiment, the Pitch Drop Experiment was inaugurated by Professor Thomas Parnell in 1927 to illustrate that everyday materials can behave in truly strange ways. To start, Dr. Parnell took a sample of pitch, a derivative of tar commonly used to seal boats, and heated it. He then poured it into a sealed stem and let it settle. It's been "dripping" very, very slowly ever since. On this site from the University of Queensland's School of Mathematics and Physics, readers can learn about the experiment, watch a 10-second Pitch Drop Timelapse Video, or watch a Live view of the Pitch Drop Experiment. By signing up, readers can also join the over 31,000 others who diligently keep up the Tenth Watch in high resolution.
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