As we head toward a week filled with holiday parties, avoid getting stuck in mind-numbing small talk and perform a chemical reaction that is guaranteed to dazzle your co-workers, friends, and family: the iodine clock.

Though two clear solutions are added together, a short wait turns the solution into the deep blue hue of iodine. The first step is the slow step, where iodine is created as a product. Reversing the reaction is a fast step. There are a few ways to perform this reaction, including altering the amount of time it takes for the reaction to change colors. All of the variants of the reaction can be achieved with chemicals easily obtained from the internet, or even with ingredients from the pharmacy.