Stephen Voltz and Fritz Grobe were a soggy, grinning mess. Wearing lab coats, safety goggles and clip-on ties, they stood in a downpour before thousands of cheering fans. It wasn’t rain that drenched them but 55 gallons of Diet Coke.
For years, science geeks have known what happens when you drop a Mentos mint into a Diet Coke bottle. Tiny craters on the mint attract carbon dioxide, creating tremendous pressure. (Diet Coke contains more CO2 than most sodas.)
Voltz, 51, a former trial attorney, and Grobe, 40, a professional juggler, decided to see how far they could push the phenomenon. In 2006 they created Internet videos choreographing hundreds of what they call “mint-powered Bellagio fountains.”
Their Web site, EepyBird.com, now draws 3 million hits a month. It features further experiments with cascading sticky notes, as well as ads and sponsorship from corporate giants such as OfficeMax and – naturally – Coca-Cola. The pair won’t say how much they’re making, but they manage to support themselves, pay two part-timers and take time out to refine their spectacle at every Maker Faire.
Photo by EepyBird.