I have seen the reaction. This is another demonstration that widely circulated. I was a bit surprised to see where the video hit the "popular" press. This video is on a bit larger scale than the one that typically gets circulated. I have seen a smaller "snake" version that usually shows up around Halloween.
From: "Sandra Koster" <skoster**At_Symbol_Here**UWLAX.EDU>
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
Sent: Tuesday, December 22, 2015 1:18:55 PM
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Fwd: See the Chemical Reaction That Takes Place When Sulfuric Acid Is Poured on Household Sugar
Of course anything that gives off SO2 should be done in a hood. Besides that I should report that a colleague who did this as a demo rinsed the residue and disposed of it in a wastebasket--which later caught the paper on fire. Surprise, surprise! Guess it wasn't rinsed enough.
Sandra Koster
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse