The Pitch Drop Live Stream: Everything You Need To Know About The World's Slowest Experiment And The Anticipated 10th Drop

The Pitch Drop Experiment is not just a scientific demonstration; it is the world's longest-running laboratory experiment, a century-spanning vigil that has captivated physicists and internet spectators alike. As of today, December 14, 2025, the live stream from the University of Queensland (UQ) in Brisbane, Australia, remains one of the most patiently watched webcams on the planet, all for the chance to witness a single, incredibly slow event: the fall of the tenth drop of pitch. The anticipation is mounting, as the next drop is expected to occur sometime in the 2020s, potentially making this the decade a lucky viewer finally catches the elusive moment.

This experiment, which proves that pitch—a substance that appears solid—is actually a high-viscosity fluid, has produced only nine drops since its inception in 1927. The live stream offers a continuous, real-time view of the glass funnel and the massive, bulbous drop currently forming, allowing hundreds of thousands of internet users to join the world's slowest watch party. The current custodian, Professor Andrew White, is meticulously monitoring the setup, hoping to avoid the missed opportunities that have plagued the experiment's history.

The Custodians: A Century of Scientific Patience

The Pitch Drop Experiment is unique in that its history is defined by the three primary physicists who have acted as its custodians, passing the torch of scientific patience across generations. Their dedication has enshrined the experiment in both scientific history and popular culture, earning them an Ig Nobel Prize in 2505 for "achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think."

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• Professor Thomas Parnell (1881–1948): The visionary who started it all. Parnell, the first Professor of Physics at the University of Queensland, set up the experiment in 1927. His intention was to demonstrate to his students that some substances that appear solid are, in fact, highly viscous liquids. He heated a sample of pitch (bitumen), poured it into a sealed glass funnel, and allowed it to settle for three years before cutting the stem in 1930. He died in 1948, ten years after the first drop fell, never witnessing the majority of the experiment's events.
• Professor John Mainstone (1935–2013): The most famous custodian, known for his decades of dedication and, ironically, for missing three separate drops. Mainstone took custody of the experiment in 1961. He was the primary caretaker when the live stream was introduced, bringing the experiment to a global audience. Despite his efforts, he missed the 4th, 7th, and 8th drops. His long-term commitment, alongside Parnell, was recognized with the Ig Nobel Prize.
• Professor Andrew White (Current Custodian): The third and current custodian, Professor White is the Director of the UQ Physics Museum. He took over the responsibility and was the one who announced the ninth drop in April 2014. Critically, to prevent the tenth drop from being missed due to the previous drop's messy landing, he carefully replaced the collecting beaker in 2014. He now oversees the modern, continuous webcam monitoring system, ensuring the world is watching.

The Science of Slowness: Viscosity and Bitumen

The core scientific principle of the Pitch Drop Experiment is the concept of viscosity, which is a fluid's resistance to flow. Pitch, also known as bitumen or asphalt, is a highly complex hydrocarbon mixture. While it feels solid to the touch and can be easily shattered with a hammer, it flows, albeit incredibly slowly, under its own weight.

The experiment provides a stunning, long-term demonstration of this property. Based on the rate of the first six drops, the viscosity of the pitch was calculated to be approximately 230 billion times the viscosity of water. To put that into perspective, water has a viscosity of about 0.001 Pascal-seconds, while the pitch is in the range of $2.3 \times 10^{11}$ Pascal-seconds. This is a viscosity so high it challenges our common definition of a liquid.

The rate of flow is highly dependent on temperature. The drops tend to fall faster in warmer weather, which is why the experiment's location in Brisbane, Australia, with its subtropical climate, plays a significant role in the timing. The ninth drop, for instance, took only 7.5 years to form, a much shorter period than the 13.5 years for the first drop, likely due to the installation of air conditioning which stabilized the temperature.

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The Live Stream and The Tenth Drop Watch

The pitch drop live stream has transformed a niche physics demonstration into a global internet phenomenon. The continuous video feed, accessible through the University of Queensland's website, allows anyone to join the vigil. This modern monitoring system was put in place specifically to ensure the moment of the drop is finally captured on camera, a feat that has only been partially successful in the past.

A History of Missed Opportunities

Despite its long history, the actual moment of a drop falling has only been definitively captured once, for the eighth drop in 2000, and partially for the ninth drop in 2014. The history of the experiment is one of missed chances:

• Drop 1 (1938): Missed.
• Drop 2 (1947): Missed.
• Drop 3 (1954): Missed.
• Drop 4 (1962): Missed (Professor Mainstone was buying a coffee).
• Drop 5 (1970): Missed.
• Drop 6 (1979): Missed.
• Drop 7 (1988): Missed (Professor Mainstone was away for a few minutes).
• Drop 8 (2000): Captured on a low-quality webcam after a power outage caused the camera to fail moments before the drop.
• Drop 9 (2014): The drop fell while Professor White was changing the camera, only partially capturing the event.

Current Status and Anticipation for the 10th Drop

The current blob of pitch, which is forming the tenth drop, has been under observation since April 2014. The average time between drops is approximately 8 to 13 years, but the last drop took only 7.5 years. Given this, the tenth drop is widely expected to fall sometime in the mid-to-late 2020s, with some estimates extending into the early 2030s.

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Professor White's decision to replace the collecting beaker after the ninth drop was a critical update. The previous drop landed on an existing pile of pitch, which slowed the final separation. The new, clean beaker ensures the tenth drop will have a clear path, potentially making its fall faster and cleaner once the neck of the pitch thins out. This subtle change in the technical setup makes the current vigil particularly exciting for those watching the continuous monitoring feed. The live stream is not just a novelty; it is a crucial tool for data collection on the fluidity threshold and flow rate of this extraordinary substance.

For anyone interested in the intersection of physics, history, and extreme patience, the Pitch Drop Live Stream offers a unique opportunity. It is a reminder that even the most seemingly solid materials in our world are constantly, imperceptibly, in motion. The world is watching and waiting for the moment when a century of scientific effort culminates in a single, silent 'plop.' When the tenth drop falls, it will be a major global news event, and the lucky viewer who catches it live will become a minor, instant legend.