[FeLiXe]

Hi, there are two things that I have noticed handling food. And I am wondering why it is.

1. When you put salt into a carbonated drink all the CO2 comes out. Is that just because you have seeds where the bubbles can form?

2. This one is cooler: I poored maltodextrine (starch) powder through a plastic funnel. On the outside on the bottom of the funnel crystal needles formed. When I put my finger close to them the move toward it. Why does all that happen? just electrostatic forces?

[billnotgatez]

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=990CE3D8103EF93BA15750C0A963958260

Was found using google and "salt in beer", but as always google gave a lot of other entries unrelated to what I wanted. So much for google it!

[xiankai]

1. When you put salt into a carbonated drink all the CO2 comes out. Is that just because you have seeds where the bubbles can form?

this reminds me about the mentos craze; seems they work in similar ways 

[FeLiXe]

ok thanks, that seems to be the answer