Have you heard about that science experiment where you drop a Mentos in a bottle of Diet Coke? The soda is supposed to explode into a fountain of cola.

This experiment was taken to greater heights this week in Leuvan, Belgium. 1,500 students simultaneously created the fountains in an attempt to break the previous record for the event. I have no idea what the previous record was, but I hope these kids broke it. With the mess they made, they deserve it.

What's an old-school mint have to do make itself stand out from the ever-growing ranks of breath-freshening products crowding convenience store shelves? Well, it could engage in a wacky marketing campaign, or it could do something to help out its customers. Mentos seems to have done both by hiring Trevor the intern. Like most summer interns, his job is to help out everyone everywhere with everything, no matter how trivial.

Trevor, a 19-year-old student at the University of Cincinnati, started his Mentos gig this week and is ensconced in parent company Perfetti Van Melle USA's Erlanger, Ky., headquarters. Looking through his schedule for yesterday, there are a few things that fall squarely into the trivial category: "MOONWALK PLZ," "read me a fariytale," and "crank call my sister." The most serious task on the list, "write a resignation letter." Which brings to mind the obvious question is Mentos serious?

Trevor's bio mentions that he's from Owensboro, Ky., "the BBQ capital of the world." While I wouldn't go that far, it is most certainly the capital of mutton and lamb barbecue. Since that's the case, I thought I'd have him overnight me some 'cue. I couldn't get the forms on the "Give me work" page to cooperate, so I left my man Trevor a voicemail last night. Let's see if he comes through.

Update: Well, despite my East Coast elitist skepticism it turns out that Trevor is in fact a real person. And why not, I'm quite sure there have been stranger internships. He left me a voicemail this morning saying "I don't make nearly enough money to be sending things out." What an earnest young man, he actually thought I wanted him to spend his own cash to send me some Owensboro 'cue. He did, however, tell me that his favorites are Moonlight and Old Hickory. Shortly after I got the message, I called him back and told him that I wanted Mentos to foot the bill as a way to promote their product and the fine smoked mutton and lamb of Owensboro. I also mentioned that I've eaten 'cue in the Carolinas, Kansas City and Tennessee and participated in numerous barbecue competitions. Trevor told me that he'd look it into with the higher-ups at Mentos. Who knows, maybe they can send me succulent mutton in time for July 4.

At this point, we all know what happens when you combine Mentos and Diet Coke, but what about combinations of other sodas with other candies? Will they produce similar, or perhaps even more spectacular, results? Thanks to a video linked to by Brian, from Candy Addict, we now know the answer to this subset of life's little mysteries. These film makers bravely tested the following combinations in the name of science: candy corn and root beet, Sweetarts and Sprite and Toucan Toes and milk. Check out the video above to see their results.

I think we'll all sleep a little better tonight, although not quite as good as I'll sleep once I learn where I can get some of those Toucan Toes....

Mentos may once have been known as "the freshmaker," but we now know them best for the reaction that occurs when they are submerged in Coke. To cash in on their newfound glory, Mentos has created the Mentos Geyser contest, where entrants will compete to see whose homemade geyser reigns supreme. The videos must be no longer than 2 minutes and have to feature a regular Mentos (not sugar free) being dropped into "a plastic bottle of a carbonated beverage of any brand." There is a video tool kit available to contestants, which contains the Mentos logo, jingle and other graphics that might be useful. Entries must be submitted to YouTube by September 30th, 2006.

Prizes include up to 1000 iTunes downloads, a year's supply of Mentos (320 rolls) and various Mentos merchandise. Not to mention that everyone will have the chance to watch people making soda fountains of their own.

May the best geyser win!

Normally, I'd say that another post about Mentos and Diet Coke soda geyser phenomenon wouldn't be necessary. However, the folks at EepyBird.com have taken the plume of soda to new artistic levels. In a display that they liken to the Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas, Fritz Grobe and Stephen Voltz let loose 200 liters of Diet Coke with the help of over 500 Mentos. During the roughly three minute display, the lab-coat-clad duo fire off soda from spinning pedestals, swings and arrays that seem better suited to fireworks rigs. EepyBird also has a decent explanation of the forces at work behind the magic. It's not just the gum arabic in Mentos that causes the fierce fizz, it's the texture of the candy that draws out the billions of bubbles.

In much the same vein as the glowing microwaved grapes I posted about a few weeks ago, I recently found several pages dedicated to showing what happens when you combine Mentos with Coca Cola. I first saw this amazing photo on Flickr, uploaded by someone named Undrin. Intrigued, I went to Google and found this video (here's another, just for good measure). According to Undrin's comment, the Mentos cause the surface tension of the liquid to decrease, allowing all of the carbonation to be released at once. More specifically, I learned, it's the arabic gum that causes the surface tension to decrease. It's also what makes Mentos chewy. You can find an explanation here, and more discussion on Snopes.