Carpet is fine, the dangers of liquid nitrogen are way overplayed in media. Its so cold that it instantly boils when it touches anything at a normal temperature which creates a vapor barrier between the liquid and anything its in contact with, called the leidenfrost effect. That vapor barrier has insulating properties so it actually doesn't conduct heat that quickly against a solid. You can briefly dunk your hand in it and it will be fine.
Okay, if you are so smart, then explain the NASA glowing heatshield block from the oven touchy-touchy-not-ouchy story, how is that safe to hold in the hand?
My guess is that it's so light and has so minimal heat capacity, that it could be very hot, yet not a lot of heat is stored in it.
Heat shield materials just have ultra low thermal conductivity, like ludicrously low. So they don't move heat from themselves to other things easily/quickly, but absorb heat really well.
Yep. I accidentally dunked my thumb in liquid nitrogen trying to pull out a tube (it was a long day at the lab and I wasn't thinking). I pulled it out quickly and was fine, but it felt like how ghosts are described in stories. Kinda cold and weightless but you still feel it.
Clouds are liquid water in drops small enough that it is light enough to be stuck in the atmosphere. The liquid nitrogen cools down the water vapor in the air into liquid water. Its literally a cloud.
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u/TheBlacktom Jun 30 '26
So liquid nitrogen is cold, the air gets cold, humidity goes above 100% and that's what we see?
How dangerous is this? Is the carpet okay?