Only a Physicist Would Come Up With This Insane But Awesome Way to Split an Oreo

Physicist David Neevel might be a minority when it comes to Oreo cookie preferences -- he has a dislike for the cream and pretty much only wants the cookie.

What is a physicist to do in such a situation? It's many an Oreo lovers goal to see just how perfectly they can separate one side of the cookie sandwich with as little cream stuck to it as possible. Neevel is no different, except he wants no cream on either side -- and he kicks the separation method up a notch.

He built an Oreo Separator Machine (OSM). Is this the part where we tell him there are chocolate wafer cookies for sale -- sans cream -- that would satisfy his desire for a creamless cookie? Nah.

Look at all those Oreo packages. A lot of testing probably had to take place before the machine was perfected. (Image: YouTube screenshot)

Working in a warehouse in Portland, Ore., which Neevel points out is pretty cold thus making the cookie cream harder to separate, Neevel put together scraps of metal, wood and electronics and created a working Oreo cream separator.

Oreo in holding awaiting its fate. (Image: YouTube screenshot)

See how it's done:

A hatchet blade comes down in the middle of the cream, picking up some but not all of the unwanted filling. Arms move the cookie halves to another tray where a router then blasts the cream off the cookie.

(Image: YouTube screenshot)

(Image: YouTube screenshot)

The result?

"Two clean delicious Oreos," Neevel says.

(Image: YouTube screenshot)

And it only took Neevel 0.04 years to build.