Experiments this simple and fun give you no reason to leave all science-based goofing off to the professionals: whip up a beaker of ferromagnetic fluid to capture magnetic waves in motion.

The premise is simple: by combing a viscous liquid (in this case vegetable oil) with a magnetic powder (in this case MICR copy toner) and introducing a strong magnetic source (such as neodymium rare earth magnets), you can actually see the magnetic waves in physical space. It’s like the old magnetic filings on the table top trick, but in 3D. Check out the video above to see how you can mix up a batch of your own.

How to Make Magnetic Fluid [YouTube]

What Is the Purpose of the “Do Not Cover This Hole” Hole on Hard Drives?

How To Log Into The Desktop, Add a Start Menu, and Disable Hot Corners in Windows 8

HTG Explains: Why You Shouldn’t Use a Task Killer On Android