During the summer we often have a number of undergraduate and even high school interns working in the lab, students who are interested in science and who wish to see how a "real" lab functions day-to-day. The young woman in the photo is such a one, and what she's doing is blowing across the surface of a dewar (like an open thermos) of liquid nitrogen. We use liquid nitrogen to freeze things for long-term storage. Often at the end of the freezing process there is a bit of liquid nitrogen left over. At room temperature liquid nitrogen will evaporate quite quickly, and if one blows on it, the most marvelous smoke patterns can be created. I had my camera nearby when she was playing and managed to get a decent photo of both her and the smoke.
I love science and yes it is a blast - so glad these kids are seeing real science while also enjoying the fun side. awesome photo of her and the liquid nitrogen - awesome page!
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