It’s one of the oldest tricks in the book, or at least on the internet—Mentos candy plus a bottle of Diet Coke equals a sticky, foaming fountain that captures the attention and hearts of children and thrill seekers everywhere.

But for our lab coat-clad heroes in this video posted by YouTube account EepyBird, the oldest trick in the book just doesn’t offer enough bang for their buck. Watch as these mad scientists combine more than 200 liters of Diet Coke and 500 Mentos to create a gushing geyser performance of epic proportions. With their expertly timed and synchronized movements, the spewing liquids work in harmony to create a visual masterpiece—and one that probably tastes good, too.

Some might be surprised to learn that the extreme reaction between Mentos and Coke products or other carbonated beverages isn’t a chemical reaction but rather a physical one, according to a 2008 article in the American Journal of Physics. A carbonated drink’s surface tension usually traps pressurized carbon dioxide gas. But on the microscopic level Mentos aren’t as smooth as they appear, and their rough surfaces disrupt this tension and allow the gas to escape. And escape it does. 

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