Interactive video lets you mix chemicals and see which ones make the biggest bang

BY SAM GUTELLE 

As this insane video proves, the science of chemical reactions can make for some explosive YouTube theater. If you’re looking to get a little “yeah science, bitch” this holiday weekend, head over to the BBC Brit YouTube channel, where a series of interactive videos invite viewers to find the “Biggest Bangs.”

The “Biggest Bangs” series with a central video that presents eight different chemical elements and asks viewers to select two of them through YouTube annotations. Each pair links to a separate video that shows what happens when those two elements combine. Some of them are duds, but others produce bombastic reactions, which the BBC ranks from most explosive to least. The goal is to find the two elements that together produce the biggest bang.

The video is a worthwhile addition to the collection of fun science videos available all over YouTube. And for Americans who will spend their weekend watching salvos of brightly-colored explosives, it’s a nice science lesson that explains what exactly causes things to blow up.

Now, there’s only one question left. Can you find the biggest bang? I’m certainly not going to tell you what it is. No really, I’m not going to tell you. You can go find it yourself. OK, fine. If you must know, it’s this one.

Screengrab via BBC Brit/YouTube