# Inventor of Pop Rocks Dies—Can of Coke Taken Into Custody **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 30, 2004, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventor-of-pop-rocks-dies-can-of-coke-taken-into-custody/257627 "2004-07-30T18:46:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventor-of-pop-rocks-dies-can-of-coke-taken-into-custody/257627/1 "2004-07-30T18:46:15Z")
**William A. Mitchell** , food scientist and the inventor of the popular exploding candy Pop Rocks, who also discovered a substitute for tapioca during his 35 year career as a chemist for General Food Corporation, and held over 70 patents, including inventions related to Cool Whip, Jello-O, and Tang, died of congestive heart failure on July 26 in Stockton, California. He was 92 years old. ---
**Author:** ![plnnr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@plnnr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/plnnr)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventor-of-pop-rocks-dies-can-of-coke-taken-into-custody/257627/2 "2004-07-30T18:51:07Z")
Tonight, in honor of his passing, I will drink some Tang with my dinner, and then have Cool-Whip on my Jello. I’ll follow that up with a few Pop Rocks and some tapioca pudding, after which I’ll probably puke. What greater honor could befall a man? ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventor-of-pop-rocks-dies-can-of-coke-taken-into-custody/257627/3 "2004-07-30T19:53:28Z")
RIP. Astronauts everywhere will be mouring for days. But seriously, all those things make for pretty good snacks, either combined or alone. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2004, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventor-of-pop-rocks-dies-can-of-coke-taken-into-custody/257627/4 "2004-07-30T21:03:41Z")
At long last, Mikey has his revenge. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2004, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventor-of-pop-rocks-dies-can-of-coke-taken-into-custody/257627/5 "2004-07-31T04:14:04Z")
But wait … wasn’t dirt already a pretty good substitute for tapioca? ---
**Author:** ![merrily](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac91a4/32.png) [@merrily](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/merrily)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2004, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventor-of-pop-rocks-dies-can-of-coke-taken-into-custody/257627/6 "2004-07-31T13:52:57Z")
I hadn’t realized that the demand for tapioca was so great, that a substitute was needed. Let’s see, I suppose the tapioca mines closed after the stock market crash in the 90s. (Sounds like he was a very imaginative man…but I might have hesitated if invited to his house for dinner.) ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2004, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventor-of-pop-rocks-dies-can-of-coke-taken-into-custody/257627/7 "2004-07-31T14:49:12Z")
☹ Adult playtime will never be the same. ---
**Author:** ![DirkGntly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DirkGntly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DirkGntly)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2004, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventor-of-pop-rocks-dies-can-of-coke-taken-into-custody/257627/8 "2004-08-01T02:57:59Z")
**MissTake,** I’m thinking I need to hear more about your ‘adult playtimes…’ …email and messenger addy’s are in the profile… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2004, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventor-of-pop-rocks-dies-can-of-coke-taken-into-custody/257627/9 "2004-08-01T16:52:07Z")
> [@DirkGntly](#): > > **MissTake,** I’m thinking I need to hear more about your ‘adult playtimes…’ You’ve never heard of the use of PopRocks in play? Place _small_ pieces of PopRocks in mouth. Place preferrably not small piece of partners anatomy in mouth. :eek: Let the fun ensue. 'Nuff said. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2004, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/inventor-of-pop-rocks-dies-can-of-coke-taken-into-custody/257627/10 "2004-08-02T15:48:49Z")
> [@](#): > > Place small pieces of PopRocks in mouth. Place preferrably not small piece of partners anatomy in mouth. Let the fun ensue. How do you think Mr Mitchell died? There is only so much a 92-year-old can take.