# What the heck happened to this can of soda? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 16, 2005, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-happened-to-this-can-of-soda/312748 "2005-07-16T02:06:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2005, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-happened-to-this-can-of-soda/312748/1 "2005-07-16T02:06:07Z")
Long story short: I’m forgetfull, I procrastinate, and my house is by far not the cleanest on the block… About 3 weeks ago I went hiking, the same way I do pretty much every weekend. I happened to have a few Pepsi Ones and some Gatoraide in the fridge so I threw one of each in a small cooler with some ice as a special cool beverage treat at the end of the trail. Yes, Mom, I did also take my camelback with plenty of water. I finished my hike and passed on the Pepsi, chugging the Gatoraid instead. Fast forward to 5 minutes ago, when I re-discovered the cooler that had been hiding right where I left it under a chair in my living room, complete with can of soda and what I thought was melted ice water in it. I opened the cooler and found that it is full of about 2 inches of watery warm soda, so I figured the can must’ve popped a hole or something. I dumped out the muck and pulled out the empty can for recycling only to find that in all outward appearances, the can is still completely intact, and still has some fluid rattling around in it. I washed it and inspected it and, I swear to Og, there is no sign of how the soda escaped the can, and no sign that the small amount still inside has any way out. So…what the heck happened to this can of soda? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2005, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-happened-to-this-can-of-soda/312748/2 "2005-07-16T02:07:51Z")
There could be a hairline crack along the pull-tab. Hold the can underwater and look for escaping air bubbles. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2005, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-happened-to-this-can-of-soda/312748/3 "2005-07-16T02:40:09Z")
No escaping air bubbles observed… ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2005, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-happened-to-this-can-of-soda/312748/4 "2005-07-16T02:48:23Z")
> [@honeydewgrrl](#): > > No escaping air bubbles observed… Well, you’ve clearly got a can of ghost soda, there. Call a priest. I suppose the leak (I’m not ready to consider the idea of a lekatt-style out-of-can experience for the soda) could be very slight. Did you rotate the can under the water to check for bubbles from all parts of its surface? ---
**Author:** ![lorinada](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5e925/32.png) [@lorinada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorinada)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2005, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-happened-to-this-can-of-soda/312748/5 "2005-07-16T03:34:17Z")
My guess is a hairline crack too, but that would only be evident once the can was heated up again. At room temperature it probably “seals” back up. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2005, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-happened-to-this-can-of-soda/312748/6 "2005-07-16T03:50:59Z")
No need to invoke out-of-can experiences while there remains a perfectly good physical explanation: [Macroscopic Quantum Tunneling](http://www.lassp.cornell.edu/ardlouis/dissipative/mqt.html). 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2005, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-happened-to-this-can-of-soda/312748/7 "2005-07-16T04:04:10Z")
On the other hand, a pinhole leak around the seal wouldn’t necessarily bubble when you put it under water. It may be too small. The pop in the can was under pressure while it sat, and was shaken, in the cooler. That could have forced the soda out. Did you try crushing the can under water to build up some pressure? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2005, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-happened-to-this-can-of-soda/312748/8 "2005-07-16T04:11:01Z")
If you send the can to Pepsi, you’ll almost certainly receive a free 12 (atleast) pack, or a coupon for one. ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2005, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-heck-happened-to-this-can-of-soda/312748/9 "2005-07-16T04:49:49Z")
**OH MY OG!** There Is No Escaping It! You are the cursed owner of [The Cooler of Death](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=177712&highlight=cooler+death)!!! No one is safe any more!