Question: What is the most interesting experiment you've done? #askneil

Neil Keddie answered on 8 Mar 2018:

In my own work, I do some of my reactions in a special chemistry microwave (not the one you’d heat your beans in though!). This allows me to do reactions under high temperatures and pressures, which helps to make some reactions work, that don’t when you heat them normally.

For demonstrations my favourite is the reaction between burning magnesium and dry ice (solid carbon dioxide) – search for it on youtube, it’s quite dramatic.