Thursday, June 15, 2006

Science Stuff

I listen to 107.9, The A Team radio show in Atlanta every morning during my drive to work. This morning the audience poll had to do with childhood science experiments and callers shared their stories. Todays topic was a direct result of the video experiment using diet soda and menthos candy. http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4077724936497803978.

One guy called to say that during a particularly boring summer day, despite the many warnings from his mom, he decided to mix bleach and ammonia in a jar, covered it for a while, then removed the top. He said he lost the sense of taste for a couple of months and his eyes were streaked with red. I'll bet his butt was streaked with red too once his mother found out.

Another caller used ketchup on pennies to clean them - she said that it takes 2 minutes to get the job done. (I just might try this myself today if I can fit it into my busy and oh so interesting schedule - no smart remarks please). I wanted to hear more stories and sat in the car for a few minutes after I parked, but my time was short so up to my floor I rode still thinking about the show.

Did any of you watch "Mr. Wizard" or "Bill Nye, The Science Guy" on TV?

My memory isn't the best so I did a little research (code for googled "Mr. Wizard') and found a page where a few of the experiments are listed:

Lykopodium powder was sprinkled on water to break the surface tension and a kid reach his hand into the tank. Amazingly, the kid pulled his hand out and it was completely dry.

Mr. Wizard had a kid press his arms against a doorway for about 30 seconds and then after the kid relaxed, his arms flew right back up.

A girl learned that her hands could not tell the difference between hot and cold after being exposed to the opposite temperature.

Tie a piece of wet string to a faucet and make the water flow sideways by moving the string.

I did further research (googled Bill Nye) and his website http://www.billnye.com/ is pretty interesting.

A little taste of my childhood curiosity has come back. Experiments were fun to me at one time and I'll do the ketchup-penny test today to see how it feels.

Anybody want to play? Do an easy experiment and let me know the result. I double dog dare you.

8 comments:

The Rev said...

I will not stick my tongue to a pole in freezing weather, thank you very much.

jali said...

Oh....so you've been there - done that huh?

Jess said...

if you take pepper and put it in a cup full of water covering the top of the water....... then drop one drop of dish soap into it all the pepper will scatter to the edges of the cup. Make a little kid laugh by saying here are all the dirty little kids that need a bath, watch em run from the soap! haha.. I used to watch Mr Wizard he was so cool

dirk.mancuso said...

Great post. (And of course now I am going to go all junior scientist and try this stuff...)

Steph said...

I've done the Mentos one in a bottle of Coke. Much funnage to be had by all. ;)

Anonymous said...

Never, ever, ever, ever try to see how long an ant can live inside of the human mouth.

~d said...

I don't get the ketchup thing...I don't get it.
I did like you suggested on umm, my big f#$king head's site-and I patronized his store as well.
Hoping I get props like you did!
Your props so totally rock!
And I got to 'find' you this way...
How is Hotlanta right now?!

Holla from New Orleans, gurl!

jali said...

You got the props from Smokin'you G-string buyer, you!

Hotlanta is just too hot right now. I'll someday get to N'awlins.