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Science Matters! Don't drink liquid nitrogen, kids!

Oct 8, 2012#1

Dave

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/19866191

Here's the story in a nutshell:

UK bar has drinks that are considered extreme and contain liquid nitrogen. She has to have her stomach removed to prevent it from bursting.

So my question: Who the fuck ever thought it was a good idea to have liquid freaking nitrogen in a drink?!? Stupid people amaze me. And I'm not talking about the victim. Most people who buy an item of food or drink from an establishment go under the assumption that what is being sold is safe. So the girl is not to blame.

The bar, though? Dumbasses.

Oct 8, 2012#2

Wahad

Dave said:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/19866191

Here's the story in a nutshell:

UK bar has drinks that are considered extreme and contain liquid nitrogen. She has to have her stomach removed to prevent it from bursting.

So my question: Who the fuck ever thought it was a good idea to have liquid freaking nitrogen in a drink?!? Stupid people amaze me. And I'm not talking about the victim. Most people who buy an item of food or drink from an establishment go under the assumption that what is being sold is safe. So the girl is not to blame.

The bar, though? Dumbasses.

He was probably trying to use it for a visual kick and made a stupid mistake. I hope so, anyway.

Oct 8, 2012#3

strawman

Dave said:
Most people who buy ...[alcoholic drinks]... go under the assumption that what is being sold is safe.

Oct 8, 2012#4

Dave

stienman said:

You know what I mean. You go to a bar or restaurant and see something on the menu, you assume it's safe to eat or drink.

Oct 8, 2012#5

Ravenpoe

Dave said:
You know what I mean. You go to a bar or restaurant and see something on the menu, you assume it's safe to eat or drink.

I would say this is roughly the same as someone that gets poisoned eating blowfish. Both are safe if properly prepared, but dangerous otherwise. Though, the risk with this drink probably was not explained.

Oct 8, 2012#6

strawman

Ravenpoe said:
I would say this is roughly the same as someone that gets poisoned eating blowfish. Both are safe if properly prepared, but dangerous otherwise. Though, the risk with this drink probably was not explained.

When a bar patron is three sheets to the wind it's unlikely that any reasonable explanation will be understood, much less followed.

Oct 8, 2012#7

Ravenpoe

stienman said:
When a bar patron is three sheets to the wind it's unlikely that any reasonable explanation will be understood, much less followed.

It's also illegal to serve drunk people.

Oct 8, 2012#8

Hailey Knight

So, they just attach her esophagus directly to her small intestine? Um... I think the body's going to miss that extra processing step.

Oct 8, 2012#9

Gared

It can be done. At least one type of gastric bypass surgery removes the stomach from the digestive tract entirely, and stomach cancer patients/survivors sometimes have to have their stomachs removed due to the tumors. It's (reportedly) not easy at first, and she'll (most likely) be eating very small amounts of food and (also most likely) weigh very little for the rest of her life, but it's not unheard of for someone to live for decades without a stomach.

Oct 8, 2012#10

blotsfan

Ravenpoe said:
It's also illegal to serve drunk people.

Quick everyone! Drink as much as you can!

Oct 9, 2012#11

Bowielee

So, I read the article, and no where does it say how this girl actually ingested this liquid nitrogen. That's what I'd like to know.

Oct 9, 2012#12

Dave

Bowielee said:
So, I read the article, and no where does it say how this girl actually ingested this liquid nitrogen. That's what I'd like to know.

I know, right? But the article does say that many bars in the area are doing this like it's some sort of new fad. People can be so dumb.[DOUBLEPOST=1349784509][/DOUBLEPOST]Here's a better article on it and it even has a video!

Apparently what happens is they pour liquid nitrogen over the drink to make it smoke and then you drink it after the smoke stops. She did not.

Oct 9, 2012#13

Yoshimickster

Dave said:
Apparently what happens is they pour liquid nitrogen over the drink to make it smoke and then you drink it after the smoke stops. She did not.

That's like drinking a flaming shot with-out putting out the flames first. Not the best idea.

Oct 9, 2012#14

Covar

Gared said:
It can be done. At least one type of gastric bypass surgery removes the stomach from the digestive tract entirely, and stomach cancer patients/survivors sometimes have to have their stomachs removed due to the tumors. It's (reportedly) not easy at first, and she'll (most likely) be eating very small amounts of food and (also most likely) weigh very little for the rest of her life, but it's not unheard of for someone to live for decades without a stomach.

It's true, my great-aunt has been living without a stomach for at least a decade now.

Oct 9, 2012#15

strawman

Losing a stomach is nothing. There are hundreds of politicians living without brains, and they seem to have long life spans!

Oct 9, 2012#16

Shakey

Yoshimickster said:
That's like drinking a flaming shot with-out putting out the flames first. Not the best idea.

During my freshman year of college, a guy in my dorm tried to do that and it didn't all make it in his mouth. He had huge mutton chops, which started on fire and caused most of the burns on his face. So he had huge burn marks up the side of his face in the shape of chops.

Oct 9, 2012#17

Covar

stienman said:
Losing a stomach is nothing. There are hundreds of politicians living without brains, and they seem to have long life spans!

That's nothing, my dog has no nose.

Oct 9, 2012#18

Yoshimickster

Shakey said:
During my freshman year of college, a guy in my dorm tried to do that and it didn't all make it in his mouth. He had huge mutton chops, which started on fire and caused most of the burns on his face. So he had huge burn marks up the side of his face in the shape of chops.

And thus, the Bat-man villain known as Flame-chops was born. Weirdest villain origin I've heard so far.

Oct 9, 2012#19

strawman

MY CHOPS ARE DEAD!

Oct 9, 2012#20

Just Me

Covar said:
That's nothing, my dog has no nose.

Then how does he smell?

Oct 9, 2012#21

strawman

Just Me said:
Then how does he smell?

Like a dog.

:rimshot:

Oct 9, 2012#22

sixpackshaker

Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster...

Oct 9, 2012#23

Yoshimickster

sixpackshaker said:
Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster...

Similar to being hit by a brick tied to a lemon I've heard.

Oct 10, 2012#24

tegid

Covar said:
That's nothing, my dog has no nose.

Bah. My chicken has no head!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_the_Headless_Chicken

Oct 10, 2012#25

Yoshimickster

tegid said:
Bah. My chicken has no head!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_the_Headless_Chicken

I've remember that! The idea confused the fuck out of me as a kid.

Oct 10, 2012#26

Necronic

I'm very concerned that a doctor is saying that liquid nitrogen is "Toxic" in that article. That's one of the dumber things I have ever heard. There is nothing toxic about liquid nitrogen. You know, because WE BREATHE IT EVERY DAY.

Oct 10, 2012#27

tegid

Well, I'll admit he'll used it in an equivocal way, but strictly speaking liquid nitrogen is toxic. Just not physically toxic instead of chemically, if such a thing exists. Right?

(Something radioactive is considered toxic, but isn't chemically toxic either)

Oct 10, 2012#28

strawman

The toxicity of liquid nitrogen can be objectively determined, therefore there's a little wriggle room if you assume that there are things that are toxic to human tissue that are not necessarily toxins - despite the dictionary definition of "toxin" and "toxic".

According to the material safety data sheet of cryogenic liquid nitrogen, it is classified as an NFPA health danger of 3 (4 being the most dangerous to health). In there we read under toxicological information that it is a simple asphyxiant. Elsewhere in the document we read that it can cause severe burns (cold).

So in some cases the word "toxic" is appropriate depending on the audience and industry. I'm sure there are many fields where "toxic" has a definition which would preclude classifying liquid nitrogen as a toxic substance, but there are fields where it clearly is.

Regardless, toxicity is clearly related to dosage, and, like water, there is likely a "safe" dose. Probably a few drops swallowed wouldn't be life threatening, though the burns would take some time to heal. She must have drunk significantly more than a few drops for the gas to expand so much in her stomach to cause the perforations, though, in addition to the burns.

I wonder how much you can swallow such that you could keep up with the gas expansion via burping. I would expect that a certain dosage would expand so quickly that dangerous pressure would build up even if your esophagus was completely open.

Oct 10, 2012#29

Dei

It makes me glad for the FDA is all I have to say. I imagine if an American bar even considered doing this, there would be a shitstorm.

Oct 10, 2012#30

strawman

Liquid nitrogen is lighter than water, so in theory one could use a straw or design a cup that would only allow the bottom portion of the drink to be drunk. Couple that with only enough liquid nitrogen to give the effect without lasting long enough to be swallowed by the time the rest of the drink is, and it should be safer.

Oct 10, 2012#31

Necronic

By that definition of toxicity a knife is also toxic.

Oct 10, 2012#32

SpecialKO

Well, you might also lose a stomach if you eat one.

Oct 10, 2012#33

strawman

Necronic said:
By that definition of toxicity a knife is also toxic.

As are rare earth magnets.

I'm loving the search terms people are finding this page on google for:

children dont drink liquid nitrogen
rofl people drinking liquid nitrogen

Oct 10, 2012#34

Yoshimickster

I am reading a fuck load O science on this thread. So basically kids, make sure your drink isn't flaming or billowing before drinking.

Payed for by the Foundation for proper alcohol consumption for minors.

Oct 15, 2012#35

PatrThom

stienman said:
I wonder how much you can swallow such that you could keep up with the gas expansion via burping. I would expect that a certain dosage would expand so quickly that dangerous pressure would build up even if your esophagus was completely open.

Many is the time that I have wondered if it would be feasible to attach an air compressor to the top end of one's stomach to enable a person to belch for 2 minutes straight or something.

--Patrick

Oct 16, 2012#36

strawman

PatrThom said:
Many is the time that I have wondered if it would be feasible to attach an air compressor to the top end of one's stomach to enable a person to belch for 2 minutes straight or something.

--Patrick

Sounds like a job for a PEG tube.

Oct 16, 2012#37

PatrThom

stienman said:
Sounds like a job for a PEG tube.

Only if I want to go as Alexis St. Martin for Hallowe'en.

--Patrick

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