Rocket ScientistMandrake Vapors

 

In Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Professor Sprout tells her class that mandrake vapors can restore broken items to their undamaged states.

An actual example of matter "restoration" can be demonstrated with a soap bubble.

StarWhat do you do?

  1. Pour bubble solution into a plastic cup.
  2. Use a finger to coat the cup's rim with bubble solution.
  3. Dip a straw into the cup, and blow a bubble so that it rests on the rim.
  4. Coat your finger with solution from the original bubble container, then slowly poke your finger in and out of the bubble on the cup.

StarHow does it work?

The bubble repairs itself because, in a process called cohesion, the soap and water molecules that make up the bubble's wall are strongly attracted to each other.

Try this magic newspaper trick:

StarWhat you need:

  • 2" x 24" strip of newspaper
  • rubber cement
  • talcum powder
  • a small (empty) bottle labeled "Mandrake Vapors"

StarWhat do you do?

  1. The secret: Before you do your trick for the audience, thickly coat the inner crease of the folded strip with rubber cement, let dry, and repeat. The dust the coated side with talcum powder.
  2. To do your trick, hold the strip with the treated surface facing you.
  3. Next, fold the strip of newspaper in half, and cut away the folded center.
  4. Pretend to pour the "Mandrake Vapors" on the cut portion.
  5. Then unfold the strip to show the newspaper restored to one piece!

StarHow does it work?

As you cut the folded end, thin edges of still-sticky cement are exposed and reactivated.