“What’s slower than watching paint dry?”
find out in this video about the Pitch Drop Experiment, as reported in the Brisbane Times
Prof Mainstone waiting for the 9th drop
This is a fascinating video. It explains the background and history of the experiment, the fact that, although it appears to be a solid, pitch is actually a liquid, and the failed attempts of seeing one of the pitch drops drop.
Prof Mainstone has been trying for 50 years to see a drop drop. The experiment began in 1927. It is the world’s longest-running experiment. Eight drops in 83 years.
Glass is also a liquid and moves more slowly than pitch. If you look at glass that has been stopped in and has flowed over a nail in the stop, you can see the wrinkles in the glass!