Instead of teaching you something new here today, I’m sending you over to BOING BOING for a six-minute video (from Smarter Every Day) showing the way Prince Rupert’s Drop glass will shatter.
For those not already aware: a Prince Rupert’s Drop is created by dropping molten glass into water. The outside hardens first, creating a droplet shape that will not break when hit with a hammer – but explodes (from the inside out) when the tail is moved even slightly.
The video, run at over 100,000 frames per second, is absolutely amazing. This is definitely worth the time: head over to BoingBoing and watch.