I’ll have to admit that my Trash Can Smoke Rings routine is not only a signature staple in my stage show, but it’s become one of my all-time favorite science demos to perform. After presenting my smoke ring routine on the Ellen Show, I received a flood of e-mails with questions about the smoke machine and where to purchase the device. Unfortunately, the cost of a good smoke machine can be a deal breaker for many smoke ring enthusiasts. That’s why I’m hoping you try my latest variation… Smoke Bomb Smoke Rings.
We’re honored to get to say, “We did it!” With a final count of 5,401 people, all armed with Windbags, the seats at Coors Field were flooded with science as we set out to set a new world record for the the Largest Physics Lesson. What a sight… a sea of Windbags with a special fly-over by Sky9, that captured the moment on film from the helicopter. The requirement for Guinness World Records was that the lesson last at least 30 minutes, but, we decided to take it to the next level and go for a full 51 minutes. There were Mentos Geysers, Rockies players with Potato Guns, a lesson on Bernoulli’s Principle, and, of course, a giant kaboom for the finale. And, at the end of the lesson an official Guinness World Records adjudicator was on hand to present our team with a certificate for the new world record. Learn more about all of the science experiments featured on Science Day at Coors Field.
Professional athletes practice before the big game day… and so should the visiting science team. We’re honored to be invited by the Colorado Rockies baseball organization and NBC affiliate 9News to kick-off their first annual Science Day at Coors Field on May 7, 2009. If you’re in the Colorado area, there’s still time to sign-up. Yes, even Dinger liked the kaboom.
They say practice makes perfect. So, we were practicing for an upcoming live performance by setting off liquid nitrogen trash can explosions in our parking lot… and a few visitors showed up. We might have upset our neighbors.
Let’s start by saying, “Don’t try this at home… or anywhere for that matter.” The explosion is the biggest I’ve seen (outside of some military training!). Our good friends down at the Oklahoma Science Center do this demo as part of their Science LIVE show and it’s great. The demo team down at the Arizona Science Center shared their version of the liquid nitrogen explosion by covering the soda bottle with a trash can. When bottle blows, the trash can takes flight… much to the amusement of the kids.
You might be wondering how this kind of thing fits into a normal work day. The word “normal” is probably arguable, but it does happen. Several weeks ago, I was asked by the Colorado Rockies and 9News to help them kick off their first annual Science Day at Coors Field. The organizers want Kathy Sabine from 9News and I to do …
Since everything else is green on St. Patrick’s Day, why shouldn’t the snow be green, too? Watch the video to learn how to dye your Instant Snow…
You’ll need some Instant Snow powder, a few plastic cups, green food coloring and a stirring stick. Place 20-30 drops of green food coloring in an empty cup and add about a tablespoon (about 10 grams) of dry Insta-Snow powder to the cup. Use a stirring stick to mix the powder. The polymer will absorb the green food coloring, but it won’t fluff up. Add a few more tablespoons of the dry, white Insta-Snow powder to the green powder and continue to mix. Keep mixing in the dry Insta-Snow until you get the green color you want. When you’re ready to make green snow, place one teaspoon of dry, green Insta-Snow into a clean cup and add about 2 ounces (60 mL) of water. The erupting green snow will be a huge hit!
