Have you ever seen a lava lamp? Did you know that possibly, the greatest item of kitsch to be found in the market place is not only a working demonstration of thermal properties of fluids but also a tool used by scientists to explain the complex dynamics of the behavior of an exploding star when casting bubbles of super-hot material into space? Yes, we are talking of the Lava Lamp here.
The lava lamp has an unusual background. What started off as an accidental invention of the nonconformist Craven Walker in 1963 became one of the icons of the Age of Aquarius. The lava lamp was standard decor for any truly hip abode in the later nineteen sixties. Diehard lava lamp cult fans swear by the gamut of experiences induced by just looking at all the different shapes the lava created. People talk of spiritual experiences, ghost experiences, and even out-of-body experiences! Merchandising this contraption was virtually a cakewalk during those times of the "Psychedelic Movement" and the "Love Generation". Though the lava lamp never entirely disappeared during the intervening period, it reached a low point during the recession of the early 80s. However, it has now again caught public fancy apparently because the children of the hippie age are probably rediscovering the things that made the 60s great!

Jugglery, imagery, or plain science?

And just what the heck is a Lava Lamp? It is usually a tall (around 22 inches) lamp made up of a base which typically holds a 40 watt frosted appliance light bulb (this could be a 100 watt bulb in case of a giant lava lamp or a 15 watt one for a lava lamp night light) inside a reflecting cone; a plastic top-cap which serves to both hide the lamp's inner cap and the waterline; and the lamp or globe which is nowadays made of borosilicate glass. The lamp is filled with clear or dyed liquid which contains a non-water-soluble substance (the lava) that's just a little bit denser and has a greater thermal coefficient of expansion than the liquid around it. Thus, it settles to the bottom of the container. The heat from the bulb warms the substance, making it expand and become less dense than the liquid around it. Thus, it rises. As it moves away from the heat source, it cools, contracts a bit, and becomes (once again) heavier than the medium. Thus, it falls. And the vicious (or is it transcendental?) cycle continues…. The light from the bulb accounts for the varying psychedelic imagery that the lava conjures up. Sounds simple? Not so. For manufacturing this contraption is actually an exacting process. The lava and the liquid are composed of 11 secret ingredients whose specific gravities must be individually matched, or the lava will break up into tiny bubbles, crawl up the side of the globe, or just float about an inch above the bottom of the lava lamp.
About the author:

Mike Yeager
Publisher
http://www.my-lamps-4me.com/