This hexagonal pattern arises in a laboratory experiment using silicone oil and in the frying pan using corn oil and cinnamon.

Note: Please take routine kitchen safety precautions and wear eye protection when carrying out this experiment.

University of Texas at Austin (UT) scientists study microgravity fluid flow with computation and laboratory experiments. Similar phenomena occur in everyday situations. Harry Swinney, director of UT's Center for Nonlinear Dynamics, suggests the following home experiment: "Pour some corn oil into a frying pan, but pour a very thin layer, just 1/32 of an inch, or less. Then turn the fire on and sprinkle some cinnamon on top so you can see the patterns. You will see a cellular convection pattern with cells that grow as the heating increases. It's the same phenomenon; we just study it under controlled conditions and try to understand what conditions will give rise to this convection."

NASA with its book, Microgravity--A Teacher's Guide with Activities in Science, Mathematics, and Technology, offers more experiments like this one. You can download this book at www.spacelink.nasa.gov by selecting Instructional Materials, then NASA Educational Products, and then Microgravity.