If we were to burn NH4Cr2O7 with HgSCN in the Dark Ages in Europe and show it to anyone, it is us who would be burning next on a fiery cross of Inquisition. And it’s no wonder, since this experiment produces a truly marvelous result. At first, as you ignite the mixture of NH4Cr2O7 and HgSCN, all you can see is that it is slowly burning with a reddish flame. After a while, however, a crater is formed in the middle of the burning pile, and then, suddenly, tentacle-like appendages start sprouting from the burning mixture. And you can almost hear the scream of the mad occultist – “Come forth, Kraken! Come forth!” But of course, this is simply a chemical reaction that is called the "Pharoah's Serpent". It was also often sold in firework stores until people realized that it was toxic.

In this January 27, 2020 photo, Jessica Hahn-Chaplin applies make up before a rehearsal of the Paraiso de Tuiuti samba school in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Hahn-Chaplin dances samba annually in Bath, England. (Photo by Silvia Izquierdo/AP Photo)

Andreas Alfaro and influencer Chelsea Yamase (Chelseakauai) perform acro-yoga poses at Summit One Vanderbilt on July 09, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images)

Lorella Boccia attends Giffoni Film Festival blue carpet on July 23, 2014 in Giffoni Valle Piana, Italy. (Photo by Maria Laura Antonelli/AGF/SIPA Press)

This is a portion of the first color 360-degree panorama from NASA's Curiosity rover, made up of thumbnails, which are small copies of higher-resolution images. The mission's destination, a mountain at the center of Gale Crater called Mount Sharp, can be seen in the distance, to the left, beginning to rise up. The mountain's summit will be imaged later. (Photo by NASA/JPL-Caltech/MSSS)

Teacher Scott Miller recently helped his Amish neighbors with a barn raising. Along with lending a hand in the process, Miller set up his camera to photograph the event. From 7 a.m. until 5 p.m., Miller's camera snapped away as the community created their newest building from the ground up.

Barcelona-based visual effects/3D animation company Big Lazy Robot brings us a beautiful animated video that uses an alternate robotic world to satirize our dependence on technology.