This is why I loved chemestry class as a teen

It's absolutely fascinating to see the product of what is basically energy in a pure form being transferred from one process to another. Energy released from Hydrogen Peroxide (how many of us have that I wonder ~_^) and diphenyl oxlate is sent to florescent dye. The dye releases a photon. We see the photon and convert it, with our brain, into light and colors. Elegance in complexity.

And it is a pity (or maybe a godsend, given the stupidity of humanity at large) that you can't get DPO (or TCPO, as in the video, which is easier to handle). It isn't exactly available as readily as H2O2. In fact my cursory look shows you'd have to buy about 4 different chemicals to make some. That's tall order.

It makes me wish I had become a chemist. I started out one coming out of high school but burned out on the course work, and switched to IT/Business. :(

Oh, and if you don't happen to know what the video is talking about when it mentions Mountain Dew, here's the video. Realize this is fake as there is nothing in MD to cause this reaction. Someone poured an active glow stick into the bottle.