181
The warming blob in my lava lamp looks like a parrot on a branch (lemmy.world)
submitted 2 months ago by to c/mildlyinteresting@lemmy.world
18 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

I recently got a lava lamp. They take an hour or two to warm up before they become the trippy, moving “lava” they’re known for. Sometimes while warming, the blob inside becomes contorted into bizarre shapes. Usually they remind me of specimen jars in some mad scientist’s lab.

This time, it apparently transformed into a bird.

Edit to add:Apparently we need a /c/MildlyPenis community.

A multi-color lava lamp with a blob inside that vaguely resembles a small parrot, with beak and wing, facing to the right. Below it is an elongated blob that appears to have the shape and texture of a small tree branch.
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 4 points 2 months ago (1 child)

I used to have a lava lamp as a child. Like another commenter asked, are they safer now than before? I remember my parents telling me to turn it off after an hour or so because they got too hot and could break the glass or set something on fire.

If they are better now, can someone recommend a good place to buy one? :-)

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • hideshow 1 child comment
    •
  • [–] [S] 2 points 2 months ago

    There are best practices to follow, including keeping it away from heat sources and sunlight, making sure it's on a sturdy, heat-tolerable surface, and, yes, not leaving it on too long. (Though one hour is barely enough for the thing to heat up properly. What I'm finding online shows the limit to be around 8-12 hours. There might be different limits for different ones.) I keep mine on a tray table with nothing else on it, so it's isolated from anything flammable. Safety care instructions say that you can tell it's overheating if all the wax goes into one blob and stays near the top of the lamp.

    Basically, as long as you follow the safety advice that comes with it and don't leave it on too long, it should be safe.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent