As with many great scientific breakthroughs, this discovery started with one question: “What if…?”

Hydrogel balls are little spheres of water-absorbing polymers that can suck up hundreds of times their weight in water. Usually, they’re used in gardening and landscaping to absorb excess water – but not if you’re a super-curious amateur scientist with no regard for your personal safety.

It turns out, hydrogel balls in a heated frying pan creates a pretty strange reaction.

And it's probably best if you don’t try this at home (even if you do have this high-tech equipment at hand).