Morbid Fact Du Jour For December 10, 2009
Today’s Explosive Yet Truly Morbid Fact!
A chemistry student in Ukraine was found dead by his parents after half his head was blow off by a strange mixture of chewing gum and explosives. The disfigured remains of the 25-year-old student were discovered at his home in the city of Konotop in northern Ukrainian. Registered at the Kiev Polytechnic Institute, the young man was working at his computer late on Saturday night when the apparent explosion occurred. A loud pop had been heard from the man’s room. When his parents entered the bedroom, they discovered his lifeless body with the lower part of the young man’s head having been blown off. A post mortem procedure revealed that the student had been chewing gum which contained an unidentified chemical substance. The young man is believed to have developed the strange habit of dipping his chewing gum into citric acid. Police investigators discovered on the premises both packets of citric acid and a similar-looking chemical, understood to be some type of explosive substance on a nearby table. Police authorities now believe that the chemistry student simply mixed the two packets and chewed on a piece of gum which had been unknowingly covered with the explosive.
Culled from: WCJB.Co.UK
Is it sad that after reading this I am most fascinated that someone would dip chewing gum in citric acid? I want to know how that improves the gum chewing experience. Oh, the mysteries of life!
I’m no chemist, but I’m going to hazard a guess that he used the citric acid to give his gum a sour taste. Some people (me included) like sour flavors in candy more than sweet, and I can certainly see why he might use the acid on his gum.
“Double your pleasure, double your fun, bubble-andtrouble Mint Gum!”
The whole thing sounds like something on “Jackass.”
My son loves to add Citric Acid to his gum. We got it from the local specialty grocery for a science fair project demonstrating sourness. It’s the stuff that’s sprinkled on things like sour gummi worms, sour Skittles, and the like.
I see three possible ways that this could have happened:
* He wasn’t paying attention, and doused his gum with the wrong chemical. Something like “Little Jimmy was a chemist, but now he is no more, for what he thought was H-2-O was H-2-S-O-4.”
* He did an old-school taste test of the explosive, found that its flavor was interesting, and figured he’d give it a try. Somehow, if I were among the grieving family members, this would give me the most comfort.
* His friends decided to play a little trick, and switched out his citric acid for nitroglycerine powder. “Hey, tovarisch, guess what we got Boris to put on his gum! I wish I could see his face when he bites into *that*. Hey, what was that noise?”
Robert, I’m dying! “But, Tovarich, you *can* see his face! It’s on the floor! Bwaaahaaaaaha!”
Little Boris was a chemist,
But he is nothing now.
There was a mixup with his chewing gum,
And little Boris went Ka-pow!
Robert and Aimee, you owe me for a new keyboard.
I’m glad I’m not the only demented one…
citric acid also has been shown to help the re-mineralization of tooth enamel
That’s us, delightfully demented. Shoot, why didn’t I name my blog that?
Maybe had a cold – isn’t citric acid basically Vitamin C?
@Dark Paradox: I hope he wasn’t experimenting with an alternate method of clearing those clogged-up sinuses. Because if so, he was a bit *too* successful.
Yeah, his mom was probably pretty miffed that she had to clean up all that sinus contents from the bedroom. “Dammit, Boris, if I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times! USE A KLEENEX!”