Canadian man films soap bubble freezing outside

By Ben Hooper
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A bubble freezes outside in Calgary, Alberta. Rumble video screenshot
A bubble freezes outside in Calgary, Alberta. Rumble video screenshot

CALGARY, Alberta, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- An Alberta man put sub-freezing temperatures to scientific use by making a video showing a soap bubble freezing in real-time.

Chris Ratzlaff of Calgary posted a video to YouTube showing a bubble blown from a straw freezing solid in a matter of seconds amid temperatures of 13 degrees below zero last winter.

"When it gets this cold, I can often be found outside my house, bubble blower in one hand and camera in the other (I think my neighbors have gotten used to this sort of behavior by now)," Ratzlaff wrote in the video's description.

He said he tweaked the bubble formula to help it hold together while freezing.

"Frozen bubble are still very fragile creatures, so I've experimented with different recipes to create a durable bubble wall that won't pop in the slightest breeze; dish soap for the bubbling, corn syrup to thicken the wall and sugar to help crystallization. I let the mixture chill in the freezer to help speed up the freezing once outside," he wrote.

The bubbles are composed of:

- 200ml warm water 

- 35ml corn syrup 

- 35ml dish soap 

- 2tbs sugar 

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