Full Report
ok.. so a long time ago we tried the you-tube mentos stuff and happily wasted time (and coke) in the office parking lot.. (of course this was after half assed attempts to mimic the experiments imperfectly.. given the typical office makeup, this ensured that we tried it with various other softdrinks, various other sweets and at one point even tried microwaving the drink cause roelof thought “the cold was ruining it”.)
Analysis Summary
# Main Topic
The content details an office group's non-malicious "Time-Waster" research project, humorously framed as an attempt to replicate YouTube science experiments, specifically focusing on the Mentos and soda reaction, and then shifting to an investigation on saving costs by repurposing components from 9V batteries to substitute for AAA batteries in remote controls.
## Key Points
- Initial activity involved replicating "you-tube mentos stuff" using various soft drinks and sweets, including an attempt to microwave the drink.
- The primary focus shifted to a cost-saving experiment: dismantling 9V batteries using pliers to extract six individual 1.5V cells that can substitute for AAA batteries in remote controls.
- The calculation suggests a potential saving of 12 cents per salvaged battery, totaling 36 cents for a remote requiring four AAA batteries.
- A cautionary note mentions potential injury ("plaster") from sloppy handling during the modification process.
## Threat Actors
- Not applicable. The actors are an office group engaging in recreational self-experimentation, not malicious threat actors.
## TTPs
- **Experimentation/Replication:** Mimicking documented (YouTube) non-malicious scientific demonstrations (Mentos/soda).
- **Physical Modification/Tampering (Cost-Saving):** Using pliers to physically break open a larger battery (9V) to harvest smaller components (1.5V cells).
## Affected Systems
- **Physical Test Items:** Soft drinks, sweets (Mentos implied), remote controls, AAA batteries, 9V batteries.
- **Affected Environments:** Office parking lot (for initial soda experiment).
## Mitigations
- Not applicable, as this is not a cyber threat.
- *Implied Safety Note:* Exercise caution when manually altering electronic components (e.g., using pliers on batteries) to avoid injury.
## Conclusion
This report is anecdotal evidence of time spent on recreational, non-malicious experimentation rooted in online trends ("YouTube science"). There is no relevance to cyber threats, threat actors, IoCs, or typical security mitigations. The focus remains on physical experimentation and cost-saving hacks involving common electronics.