This Week on Ellen… Steve Spangler (and his flying potatoes)
Last week the producers at the Ellen Show called to see if I had anything new that might amaze Ellen... and make her laugh. Hmmm... what do you think? After a few phone calls and some time trading some demo videos over e-mail, we're set with…
Speaking at NSTA Boston Convention
I am honored to be invited to speak at the 2008 NSTA National Conference in Boston this March 27-30. In addition to the hundreds of concurrent sessions offered at the conference, NSTA hosts a number of professional development mini-conferences…
Hose Burst Test on Live TV – Spangler Visits Gates Labs
All this week on TV, I had the opportunity to get a behind the scenes look at Denver-based companies who each have a cool science twist to their business. The scientists at Gates Corporation invited our cameras on a tour of the hydraulic testing…
Cornstarch Walk on Water – Get 2,500 Boxes of Cornstarch
Today's most asked question is... How did you get that much cornstarch for the Walk on Water demo on the Ellen Show? Sure, you could go to the store and ask customer service for 2,500 boxes of cornstarch, but the better solution might be purchasing…
Cornstarch Walk on Water Stunt – Get a Cement Truck
Mixing 2,500 pounds of cornstarch with the kitchen mixer just didn't work, so we had to find a cement truck... and a very cool cement truck mixing guy. Oh, and you also need three people who know exactly what the cornstarch mixer should feel…
Cornstarch Walk on Water – Get a Really Big Bathtub
The final step is to drive the cement truck filled with 2,500 pounds of cornstarch and 250 gallons of water to the back lot at the Ellen Show and pour the goo into a giant bathtub - 7 feet long, 3 feet wide and 2 feet deep. It's also a good…
Back from Ellen – Covered in Cornstarch!
We just returned from taping the Ellen Show and we had a blast. As always, Ellen and her staff treated our entire team (four of us traveled to Burbank, CA in order to pull off the cornstarch demo) wonderfully. There are lots of pictures to…
More Science on the Ellen Show – Coming February 13, 2008
According to her producers, Ellen DeGeneres is still wild about science... and she wants to know what I might have up my sleeve for February 13th. During the first visit, Ellen changed her voice, triggered a eruption of oxygen bubbles and shot…
Soda Bottle Explodes Like a Bomb
No, this is not a story about kids setting off a 2-liter soda bottle bomb or a mad scientist brewing up an explosive mixture in his garage. This is the story about a senior citizen living in Windsor, Colorado who awoke to the sounds of a loud…
Back from the Ellen Show… She Did It!
Watch Steve's Science Demos on Ellen Ellen hit a science home run! She whipped off the tablecloth, smashed the veggies and popped the pumpkins like a pro. We just returned from the Ellen Show studios in Burbank, California, and I couldn't…
