The thought of using molten copper, heated to over 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, conjures up thoughts of ancient torture devices, but in the hands of one of our favorite YouTube channels, The Slow Mo Guys, that dangerous liquid metal can be used to create a beautiful display that combines art and science.

The latest video from Dan and Gavin finds the guys inside an actual laboratory (and based on their super funky lab coats they potentially filmed this in the future), where they used induction to heat up copper to 1,200 degrees Celsius, which they then poured out and filmed with their super slow motion camera.

Because they wanted to keep the quality of the footage higher, they only filmed it at 1,000 frames per second, as opposed to the much slower rates they often use, but it was more than enough to get some truly stunning visuals, which highlight the drastic changes heat can make to a substance’s properties.

In their first pour the molten copper looked as fluid as orange soda, hitting the metal base the same way a spilled cola can would hit your kitchen floor (only if the soda could burn a hole in it). However, it was the second attempt, with the liquid copper itself as the only light source, that produced the real standout footage. The metal fell in perfect droplets, creating a growing light show that feels like it should be shown in an art gallery.

So forget ancient torture devices, because with our modern technology something as dangerous as molten copper can be used to show the power and beauty of science.

What did you think the molten copper looked like here? Pour your thoughts out in our comments below.

Images: The Slow Mo Guys