Miss Vermont 2015 Alayna Westcom will be showing off a very special talent during the third night of the Miss America Pageant Thursday: science! Specifically, the scientific ability humans have to blow stuff up.
Westcom’s platform issue is “Success Through STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics,” and her goals include going to medical school, becoming a pathologist, and eventually becoming a medical examiner. Along those lines, her talent is listed as “Dramatic Science Experiment,” and, according to the AP, it’s gonna be real cool!
...the 2016 Miss Vermont will don protective goggles, mix some chemicals and create a foamy eruption she calls “elephant’s toothpaste” when it’s her turn to perform in the talent portion of the third and final night of preliminary competition.
“There will be a lot of bubbles,” she promises. “And there will be some loud noises.”
The experiment involves combining potassium iodide, hydrogen peroxide and soap. The result is an eruption of foam shooting skyward out of a beaker.
Westom says that she’s pretty sure there’s never been a woman who’s done a science experiment in the talent portion of the Miss America Pageant, and that she had to be conservative when choosing hers, as you’re not allowed to use fire or have projectiles on stage. As a preview, here is is a very low-quality video of her showing off her talent previously (there’s a close-up picture of the eruption here as well). Unfortunately for us, the third round of the Miss America Pageant is not broadcast on television, but we can assume tonight’s show will go off without a hitch.
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