A science experiment has been running for nearly 100 years

The world’s longest-running science experiment is nearing a century, and visitors can see it happen at the University of Queensland via live stream.

Launched in 1927 by physicist Thomas Parnell, the Pitch Drop Experiment studies the extreme viscosity of pitch, a tar derivative that appears solid but is actually a fluid 100 billion times thicker than water.

Since the experiment officially began in 1930, it has produced only nine drops, with the most recent falling over a decade ago in 2014.

The project is a testament to ultimate patience, as the interval between drops is roughly eight years. This timeline slowed even further after air conditioning was fitted in the 1980s.

Remarkably, no human has ever witnessed a drop fall in person. Longtime custodian John Mainstone watched the funnel for 52 years but missed a drop due to a camera glitch, eventually passing away just before the 2014 event.

Currently, Physics professor Andrew White is keeping watch.