I was wondering whether anyone has an interesting approach to presenting the imploding can?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk9qw5WHZLU

I included the link just so that it is clear what I'm talking about, but when I do this myself I prefer to use an electric kettle rather than a burner, just to keep everything looking as everyday and harmless as possible before the big moment.

I usually present this as a teacher in my science lesson, so I normally ask the audience/ class to consider what they think might happen and why. We then use their ideas as jigsaw pieces afterwards to try to put together a complete description of the event. Obviously, asking for speculation doesn't create the frame of mind for everyone to be as fascinated with the event as the phenomenon deserves.

Also, visually, there's pretty much nothing happening for some time and then in just a moment it is all done. I do give a short countdown just before the event an then let them watch the water trickling out of the flattened can as I hold it up and rotate it, so the aftermath works out well.

Any ideas would be very welcome.

I do this with my science classes, and it works well as the science demo that it is. I tried it onstage once, and found that while the audience liked it, they did not buy into it being magic. Maybe they all saw it in their science classes or something. I never tried it onstage after that one time.

Interesting point, Cliffg37. I was wondering about this myself. The science demos that I've seen mentioned on the threads in this forum all sound like things that I've used with my science classes. Are there some demos that people have found audiences tend to mistake for magic? Are there any examples of magic routines in which people use an enjoyable science demo whilst actually performing an illusion?

If you would like to consider doing this on a larger scale, consider some clips from the past:

Before Bill Nye the Science Guy went into national syndication he was an occasional feature on a local Seattle TV show called Almost Live.

Back in the early 1990's he did the small can, then attempted a 55-gal drum. While a success in rehearsal, it was not so effective on air when a fire extinguisher was used as the cooling source. A return to the show during the Clinton years was more of a success when a children's wading pool was used full of ice as the YouTube clip demonstrates:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-n6f79FNOg

And you can see this 'wading pool' format, but using a garden hose for cooling, copied by such school clips as the following:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-3cu_Q119s&NR=1&feature=fvwp

There are a couple of versions of the crushed-can(or plastic water bottle)-healing itself out in the magic market which could perhaps be blended with the smaller version of the soda can shown in the clip from the OP. Maybe you could use some simple apparatus for a switch and claim it was a machine to reverse time.

For a glimpse of an A C Clarke-like demo of advanced tech which appears indistinguishable from magic, watch the latter half of the TED talk on athletic quadcopters
where a group not only cooperates to play catch, but also responds to a wand-like remote or just the right type of human gestures:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2itwFJCgFQ

Imagine a Zombie that could do what these things do--and add a little of the personality of the Blackstone dancing hank or David Copperfield's animated necktie.

Hi there guys you migth want to check this out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsB71b10euY