Date: Wed, 15 Jul 2009 10:09:21 -0700
Reply-To: "Latimer, Lee" <lee.latimer**At_Symbol_Here**ELAN.COM>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: "Latimer, Lee" <lee.latimer**At_Symbol_Here**ELAN.COM>
Subject: Re: FW: Experimental cook blows hands off trying molecular
gastronomy
Comments: To: "Debbie M. Decker"
In-Reply-To: A<48A020E1942E024DB0F2A6B68A1312440773A457A5**At_Symbol_Here**XEDAMAIL2.ex.ad3.ucdavis.edu>

Sounds like he condensed some oxygen on top of the LN2 and with the fuel and heat source in the lighter…..the key to look for is the fuel source.  Given the trek around the world for t his story, little chance of more info.

This is always a problem with use of L N2 and is why it needs to be vent-capped to prevent mixing the ambient atmosph ere above the liquid with “regular” atmosphere.


From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**list.uvm.edu] On Behalf Of Debbie M. Decker
Sent: Wednesday, July 15, 20 09 8:19 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] FW: Experimental cook blows hands off trying molecular gastronomy

Excuse the cross-postings:< /span>

This tidbit is from our food safety officer.  From this piece, it makes absolutely no sense whatsoever to me.  I did a bit of digging – here’s a wiki entry on the concept:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molecular_gastronomy  But no more information about this incident than below.

Have any of you heard of this?  Do any of you might have some insight on how this incident might have occurred?  We have a large and active Food Science department and they’re always coming up with new ways to produce food.  We would like to be a ble to head them off from something dangerous before we have a similar incident .

Thanks for your speculation and input.

Debbie

---------------------

Debbie M. Decker, Campus Chemical Safety Officer
Environmental Health and Safety
University of California, Davis
1 Shields Ave.
Davis, CA  95616
(530)754-7964/(530)752-4527 (FAX)
dmdecker**At_Symbol_Here**ucdavis.edu
Co-Conspirator to Make the World A
Better Place
-- Visit www.HeroicStories.c om and join the conspiracy


From: Susan Cummings
Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2009 5:05 PM
To: Debbie M. Decker
Subject: Experimental cook b lows hands off trying molecular gastronomy

GERMANY: Experimental cook blows hands off trying molecular gastronomy
14.jul.09
Sydney Morning Herald
AFP
http://www.smh.com.au/world/experimental-cook-blows-hands-off-trying-molecu lar-gastronomy-20090714-dj0r.html
An experimental German cook accidentally blew off both his hands attempting to concoct a "molecular gastronomy" dish with liquid nitrogen, a new spaper report said on Monday.
The 24-year-old man from Stahnsdorf near Berlin somehow obtained some of the dangerous chemical and was poised to try out a new recipe from the school of molecular cooking, which aims to apply scientific processes to gastronomy.
There was an "enormous explosion", according to the Berliner Morgenpost daily.
The man lost one hand in the explosion and the other was so badly injured it had to be amputated.
The man, who was staying at his girlfriend's mother's house, was rushed to hospital where his condition was described as life-threatening. He is on artifical respiration.
He claimed he was trying to fill a gas lighter, but his girlfriend said he was trying to empty a canister of liquid nitrogen.

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