Chemical reactions are occurring all around us but they're happening on such microscopic levels that it can be difficult to fully appreciate them, much less witness them in all their glory. Now, a collection of videos by the Beauty of Science called Envisioning Chemistry is bringing these reactions to life in startlingly vivid detail.
The Beautiful Chemistry project began in 2014, with the aim of educating millions of people. Three years later, the group is still working on Envisioning Chemistry, which acts as an ultimate education resource about chemical reactions. Using state-of-the-art photography equipment, such as high-resolution microscopes, thermal imaging infrared cameras, high-speed cameras, and 4K Ultra HD cameras, the project documents the beauty of chemical reactions like never before.
One video from the project, titled Black and White, was featured in the 2016 National Geographic Short Film Showcase in the Top Ten - and it's not hard to see why. The startling transformations of black lead and white silver are accompanied by beautiful electronic music, the perfect accompaniment as coloured crystals appear to bubble up from the material's surface, almost like smoke.
Elsewhere, looking into a single droplet of water, the videos help distinguish chemical components such as sodium chloride, sodium sulphate and ammonium chloride in ways never before seen - forming dazzling crystals within this drop of water, spreading out into complex tree-like shapes.
The power of the Envisioning Chemistry series lies in its accessibility. Anyone can enjoy these beautiful reactions, regardless of their interest in science. If anything, the cinematic quality of the videos adds to the power of bringing these reactions to life - bringing them from minutia to high definition. By introducing more people to the beauty of chemistry, Beauty of Science hopes to "engage students in the classroom, and even better, make them fall in love with chemistry."
Envisioning Chemistry will be available in Autumn with eight core topics. These range from chemical reactions that occur everyday, to 'colour magic' acid and base reactions; a 'play with fire' segment on combustion as well as parts on thermochemistry and electrochemistry.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
