THE ice bucket challenge may seem cool if you live in a place which is usually quite hot, but for those who dwell in a cold climate the idea is probably less impressive.

    Like if you lived in chilly Russia, for example, the sensation of tipping a bucket of ice water over your head is probably not dissimilar to leaving the house on a rainy day.

    So it’s perhaps no wonder that it’s a Russian scientist who has staged the most spectacular spin yet of the ice bucket challenge — using minus 195 degree Celsius liquid nitrogen, the Daily Mail reported yesterday.

    A spectacular video shows Anton Konovalov, 34, who works at a liquid nitrogen-producing chemical plant in Kryansk, Krasnoyarsk Oblast, as he grabs the bucket and pours the bitterly cold liquid over his head, the report said.

    Seconds earlier he had taken a branch with some leaves from a nearby tree and plunged into the liquid nitrogen, freezing it instantly so it could be crumbled into shards in his hands, according to the report.

    Yet when he pours the liquid nitrogen over his head, instead of freezing himself solid, he simply shakes his head and indicates “yes, it is cold, but I’m still here,” the report said.

    It’s possible for liquid nitrogen to pass on top of human flesh without freezing, because when it is poured onto the human body, something called the Leidenfrost effect comes into play, according to the report. (SD-Agencies)