It’s Hack #42 and in honor of Douglas Adams, author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy this week’s hack is a how-to about a drink called the Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster!
So what does Hack #42 and Hitchhiker’s Guide have in common? Well it’s the number 42. In the novel, the great computer, Deep Thought was asked the question “what is the answer to life, the universe, and everything?”. After 7.5 million years of computing it came up with the answer. “42” Yes, 42.. that’s it.
So, here we are in the here and now (supposedly) mixing up the Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster!
Watch the video for some fun, then read on for a behind the scenes explanation of how it was done.
Well that was fun!
This project was really a bit of theater with some custom made props. I made up some labels, printed them out and applied them to the bottles with some spray adhesive.
What was actually in the bottles?
Ol’ Janx Spirit – vinegar
Santraginus V Seawater – water with blue food color
Arcturan Mega-Gin – sugar rock candy with yellow food color
Fallian Marsh Gas – air from an inflated balloon
Qualactin Hypermint Extract – Olive Oil
Algolian Suntiger Teeth – Effervescent vitamin C tablet also known by the brand name “Airborne”
Zamphuor – water with yellow food color
The table top was covered in cheese cloth and under it was a layer of baking soda. When the drinks were spilled at the end of the video the vinegar reacted with the baking soda making it bubble and foam up as if it were an acid eating into the table.
I hope all of you Hitchhikers Guide fans out there enjoyed this video as much as we enjoyed making it…
…and to the late great Douglas Adams I’d like to say, “So long and thanks for all the fish!”
Keep on hackin!