One of the first things that you are taught when you start culinary school or even start a job in a kitchen is that a dull knife is the most dangerous thing you can have around.  Well I beg to differ.  Work with 300 degree sugar for a few days and you will probably feel the same.  There are so many cool things that you can do with sugar and many different techniques to do it, but there is no mistake that it is very very HOT.  This last week at school we had a project that included making a sugar sculpture.  Unfortunately every technique that one would use to create a wonderful masterpiece involves applying heat to the the sugar.....opening a gigantic gateway for people to possibly hurt themselves or those around them.  For instance, the very first day that the class was set loose to start their sweet works of art, a pot of sugar was left on the stove unattended.  In no time at all, the mass in the pot was black.  Not caremalized but carbonized.....BLACK.  Then, the upsetting dark mass started to rise out of the pot releasing puffs of black smoke as it grew.  When the situation in the pot finally cooled down it looked and felt exactly like lava rock, we had to chisel it out of the pot to get it even remotely clean.  The entire experience was kind of crazy and very cool at the same time.  Sugar really is like lava.  Aside from the smoky expanding pot, minor burns and a few sugary spills, this week in class was fairly accident free.  Just be aware that sugar is somewhat sketchy to work with and you should take caution.  Ice is your best friend.