# Explain This Body Trick **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 1, 2017, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-body-trick/797728 "2017-10-01T14:14:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2017, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-body-trick/797728/1 "2017-10-01T14:14:46Z")
Many of us have some “trick” we can do with our bodies. Like, Mel Gibson supposedly can dislocate his shoulder as one extreme example. Some people can whistle that “cat-call” whistle through their teeth - using two fingers to get the spacing correct, and others can imitate a cricket’s chirp perfectly by pursing their lips (I think). But, I met a kid who can blow a cloud of smoke (or fog) from his mouth in summer conditions and NOTHING in his mouth. He draws a breath into his mouth, apparently compresses it in his cheeks by pushing air up from his lungs into his cheeks, and opens his mouth to release a “puff of smoke”. (If it matters, he does this without pause in one smooth sequence. Also, fyi, he can do this “trick” several times in a row.) This is my best guess as to what he seems to be doing for his body is not transparent to see what his body is actually doing! Could he be squeezing moisture out of the air by compressing it slightly? That is my best WAG. At first, I WAGed he may creating a bubble of saliva in his mouth and popping it thereby releasing moisture captured within the now-burst bubble. He says he is not, and I do not even know if this is even possible. (I can say he is definitely not blowing a saliva bubble with his lips and then taking the bubble into his mouth.) Why do you think his “puff of smoke” trick works? Note: Yes, I am aware compressed air contains the “heat of compression”, but as I understand it, the body really cannot build that much air pressure. Whatever heat is generated, if any, must be negligible. Your thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2017, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-body-trick/797728/2 "2017-10-01T14:55:46Z")
Not really suitable for General Questions. Moved to IMHO. **samclem**. moderator. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2017, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-body-trick/797728/3 "2017-10-01T17:58:57Z")
There’s a ton of youtube videos detailing how to make clouds with your mouth, like [this one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68A_Azsqqg4). You first create a bit of ‘mist’ in your mouth, then increase the pressure, which increases the temperature, thus making the air able to hold more water; when that air cools as it’s expelled from the mouth, it cools, and water droplets form, thus creating a cloud. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2017, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-body-trick/797728/4 "2017-10-02T07:11:05Z")
I can’t get it to work with the instructions in that video. She got something amazing. I get nothing, even after I finally figured out how to click my tongue with my mouth closed. (I had to move my jaw much more than with it open, and puff up my cheeks to get enough air in there to do it.) I then do the high pressure part, and open my mouth, and, nothing. I even pressed my hand on my mouth, like she did. And, of course, she obviously cuts, so I’m not sure we saw the real thing anyways. ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2017, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-body-trick/797728/5 "2017-10-02T14:33:23Z")
Maybe the air outside has to be cool and dry. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2017, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-body-trick/797728/6 "2017-10-02T15:27:55Z")
I can blow “smoke” clouds but it takes a lot of effort and is probably dangerous. It just takes a whole lot of pressure inside your mouth. My friends and I could do it when we were teenagers along with lots of other, seemingly impossible, things (it was a tiny town and we were easily amused). I don’t want to risk an aneurysm making a Youtube video showing how to do it but I was able to the last time I tried a few years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2017, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-body-trick/797728/7 "2017-10-02T17:43:41Z")
I can do it in 5 seconds. It’s just moisture. Rather than puffing your lips and mouth with a light push of air, you have to have good strong lungs and exhale hard as far as your cheeks can go (hurts mildly) and enough moisture is contained in your mouth as a result to give a puff of ‘smoke’. Just have to release it very lightly and immediately. . ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Parker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@Richard\_Parker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Parker)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2017, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-body-trick/797728/8 "2017-10-02T17:48:38Z")
After watching that link, I just did this sitting in my climate controlled office. Cool! Now to go impress my co-workers. ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2017, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-body-trick/797728/9 "2017-10-03T15:22:50Z")
All that tongue clicking, facial contortion, hand clamping over mouth is not necessary; just press lips together and try to force air out for a few seconds, then release pressure, open mouth, and very gently exhale a short puff. Learned this in grade school in the 1950s. ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2017, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-this-body-trick/797728/10 "2017-10-04T19:38:00Z")
Any sudden drop in pressure lowers the air temperature and moisture will condense. I think that’s all that’s going on here.