During thisseason ’s recent cold snap , your social media feeds were no doubt filled with people playing around with the “ stewing water challenge . ” The viral phenomenon sees people channelise out to the sub - zero outdoors with a cooking pan of simmering water , discard it up into the zephyr , and watch it turn into a dazzling video display of glacial mist .

While it might look like some extremely - Instgrammable yet harmless fun , doctor are now warning that the experiment can also earn you a trip to the emergency room .

Seven people were treat for second - degree burns and one person with third - degree burns at a infirmary in Chicago as a result of one effort exit wrong , reportsABC 7 News . One of the patient might even demand to undergo surgery to treat the burn .

" We strongly monish citizenry to not perform the boiling water challenge , " Dr Arthur Sanford , a burning surgeon at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago , told theChicago Sun - Times .

" There is no safe manner to do it . "

“ The gamut course from fundamentally being burned from red-hot liquid to being give away to the cold air travel , ” added Dr Jeff Schaider , chairman of emergency brake medicine at Cook County Health in Chicago , according toThe Epoch Times . “ If your hand has water on it , that freezes pretty flying . That ’s a bigger jeopardy , in reality . ”

Look , if you are going to do it ( at your own risk ) then check that you project the water well off from yourself and other people . Always remember that you are in effect just vomit up around a pot of boiling water , so do accordingly .

Despite its danger , the challenge is a middling neat little presentation of theMpemba gist , the observation that hot water can immobilize faster than cold water . Throwing cold urine into the air wo n’t work as it wo n’t stop dead in clip , however , boil hot water will as its temperature is able to flatten significantly faster , turning it into a snow - like mist .

Remarkably , scientist do n’t have a exculpated account for this event , although there are a few theories . One idea is that hot water has a faster pace of evaporation , subjugate the volume left to freeze , while another suggests that dissimilar concentration of dissolved gasoline , such as atomic number 6 dioxide , could affect cooling rates . every bit , one hypothesis highlights that warm water might chill faster due to increase convection currents . One ofthe tardy theorieson the matter argue it ’s all to do with the covalent Bond that hold water system together .

Regardless of Mpemba ’s mystery , think back to stay safe out there , folks .