Being an informal observer of science and natural phenomenon, I always enjoy finding small examples of large-scale phenomenon. For example, when you open the drain on a bathtub filled with water, sometimes you see a little air spout getting sucked down through the water, like a mini-tornado.

Today I found a mini-volcano right there in a pot of lentils that I was cooking. A volcano-like funnel formed in the middle of the pot, with bubbling, boiling lentils coming up from the bottom. The side of the lentil mountain remained cool and crusty, like a true volcano. In a true volcano, heat comes up from the center of the earth and boils the rocks lying just underneath it; in my cooking pot, heat comes up from the stove burner and boils the water and lentils at the bottom. As with the volcano, a spout of lava-like material from the bottom started rising up through the cooler layer of lentils at the top. Yes, indeed, earth science in action, right there in my kitchen. Need proof? Here’s the picture: