Slow-motion Match Burning

This match head was filmed at 4,000 frames per second. That means the ignition, which normally happens in an instant, takes several minutes. We get a good look at what happens before the flame begins, involving the cascading chemical reaction over the surface and melting globs of sulfur. It's totally mesmerizing,and by the time the flame comes, you've almost forgotten what it is you're watching. To get such a good view, Alan Teitel and his UltraSlo Studio team used a huge array of lights on this one tiny match.  (via Boing Boing)