In recent months, the world has witnessed a flurry of astonishing scientific discoveries and developments that have reshaped our understanding of the planet. However, none have endured as long as an ongoing experiment that scientists have been conducting for nearly a century.

In the span of just seven days, astronomers unveiled the potential existence of 85 new ‘habitable’ planets, archaeologists uncovered a remarkable structure beneath an ancient Egyptian temple, and health experts issued a warning about a ‘zombie’ Arctic virus with epidemic potential. While these breakthroughs have captivated our imaginations, there’s one experiment in the scientific world that has been ongoing for almost 100 years, and it’s not expected to conclude anytime soon.

The journey began in 1927 when scientist Thomas Parnell, a professor at the University of Queensland in Australia, initiated what would become the world’s longest-running laboratory experiment – the ‘pitch experiment.’ The purpose of this experiment is to measure the fluidity and high viscosity of a substance known as ‘pitch.’

Pitch is essentially a derivative of tar and holds the distinction of being the world’s thickest known fluid, which paradoxically appears solid at room temperature. Parnell and his team started by pouring a freshly heated sample of pitch into a sealed funnel, allowing it to settle for three years.

In 1930, they trimmed the funnel’s neck, freeing the pitch to slowly descend into the container below. However, the ensuing decades were marked by a glacial pace of progress. Only one drop fell into the container during the first ten years of the experiment. Even more astonishingly, it took another 40 years for the next five drops to follow.

Since then, three additional drops have fallen, despite the funnel being cut over 87 years ago. The most recent recorded drop occurred in April 2014, with the next one expected sometime in the 2020s. Tragically, Thomas Parnell, the pioneer of this groundbreaking experiment, passed away just over two decades after its inception.

He succumbed to hypertensive cardiorenal failure in September 1948 but was posthumously honoured with an Ig Nobel Prize in physics, a playful tribute to his extraordinary dedication.

What has left observers equally astonished is that no one has ever personally witnessed a drop fall due to various technical glitches. Currently, the legendary pitch drop experiment remains on public display at the School of Mathematics and Physics on the University of Queensland’s St. Lucia campus. It is also live-streamed 24/7 on social media, attracting thousands of viewers every day who hope to witness another historic drop.