Posts
Steve Makes His 12th Appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres Show
Steve makes his 12th appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres Show as Ellen's Science Guy. The show airs today, so check local listings for exact times (it airs at 3pm in Denver on Channel 9) or click the link below to watch a sneak preview of the…
My High School Chemistry Videos Never Looked Like This! Chemistry Parties Are So Reactive
I remember having to sit through my fair share of horrible chemistry videos in high school. I must say this is a much better way to learn about the noble gases, but I'm not sure which version I like better.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBCmt_pJTRA[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a45dXztokZM[/youtube]
Hardware Store Science – Secret Messages with Teflon Tape
It's true that I find some of my best experiment inspiration in the hardware store. My team often likes to tell the story about spending five hours at Home Depot before a conference in Atlanta... don't believe everything you hear. This Teflon…
Mysterious Floating Water Science Experiment
Fill the glass jar with water and cover it with a card. As you turn the whole thing upside down, the audience can hardly contain themselves. The room quiets down as you precariously position the inverted jar and card a few feet above someone's…
Spin Art Chromatography – Is Black Really Black?
When I pose the question, "What is black?" at a teacher training workshop, I inevitably get two standard answers in response... "Black is black... a color," or "Black is the absence of all color." That's when I like to break out my filter…
Ellen DeGeneres Wants Giant Smoke Rings!
It's official... I'm flying out to be a guest on the Ellen DeGeneres Show next week. Back in April of 2006 when a producer on the show originally contacted our office, I asked for your suggestions on experiments to do with Ellen. Lots of people…
Geyser Tube Toy Helps Set New Mentos Geyser World Record
Dropping a roll of Mentos into a bottle of soda used to be something that kids did for fun. Now adults are getting into the act. I opened my e-mail and received these cool pictures from the organizers of the event that took place on July 10th…
Exploding Watermelons
I love Halloween. One of my favorite activities is to "carve" pumpkins using a simple reation inside the fruit. First, you carve the face then carefully replace pieces. After creating a reaction by generating a gas inside and igniting it (ask…
Young Magicians Take Center Stage
Okay, it's not science... but I'm so proud that I just had to share it. Mark and Scott are our twin 5 year old boys who have both taken a liking to magic. It probably doesn't hurt to see their brother Jack (who is now 8 years old) performing…
Hooked on Learning – Jack Spangler’s Magic Trick
Jack is 8 years old and likes to perform (he must get that from his Mom). Three years ago, the owners of Frog Street Press invited Jack to accompany me to their amazing summer conference for teachers called SPLASH. I helped Jack perform his…
