Click on any of the pictures below to get a larger version. StanCfrozen_rose

Prof. Stan Christensen shatters a rose after freezing it in liquid nitrogen, then

StanC_liquidNballoon

holds a rapidly expanding balloon, containing boiling liquid nitrogen, at arm's length,

StanCsmoke_ring

then blows large smoke rings using a low-tech contraption that anyone can make at home from a cardboard box and rubber bands,

StanCnails

and finally the original picture again, which illustrates that an ordinary balloon can withstand being deformed by sharp nails if you have enough of them arranged in the right way.