If you’re a fan of the Ellen Show, you know that the show recently moved to a new set on the Warner Bros Studio lot. The new studio is huge… great for exploding clouds of liquid nitrogen! Watch the video, but keep reading to learn what happens behind all of those clouds.

I’ve mentioned this before, but it deserves a second mention. Ellen DeGeneres and the people who make up her staff are absolutely top-notch, first-class, amazing people who love their jobs. From the moment we arrived on the lot, there was someone ready to help us with anything we needed. And unlike a normal guest, I have a bunch of weird stuff to set-up backstage. The request list that I turned into the producers for this segment included rain coats, fire extinguishers, liquid nitrogen and a huge jar of pickles. With lots of stuff comes lots of set-up time backstage and probably more interaction with the Ellen Show crew than most guests get.

Aside from having a great time, the big take away for me during this visit was the way the Ellen staff does their jobs. There’s a genuine sense of excitement and fun on the set. From the prop coordinators to the make-up artists to the camera people and the producers, everyone takes so much pride in what they do. Everyone seems to live by the motto - make it big, do it right, give it class… or don’t do it. Right before rehearsal, the producer who handles my segment told me that one of the executive producers wanted to stand in for Ellen as we ran through each of the experiments. Normally I watch him out of the corner of my eye as he watches the demos for the first time and takes notes during the rehearsal. This time, instead of watching the demos, he wanted to participate and get his hands dirty (literally). That idea of having fun, being engaged (instead of just showing up) and doing everything possible to make the show great is exactly why the show is great.

Maybe that’s the secret… make sure you’re doing something you really love to do… or don’t do it.

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Sean Moncrieff is the host of the Afternoon Show on Newtalk 106-108 fm in Ireland. This nationally syndicated show features news stories ranging from the serious to the zany… maybe that’s why they called. While waiting for my segment, I listened to the show and quickly realized how much I want to speak again in Ireland. I first lectured at the Irish Science Teachers Association in 1997 and again in 2000. I shared a few science demos and they taught me the finer points of drinking lots of Irish beer. Here’s my interview with Moncrieff.

 

 Newstalk - Ireland [11:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

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If you couldn’t get enough of flying potatoes the first time, the nice people at the Ellen Show are rerunning the show that originally aired on April 15, 2008. The featured experiments include the Baby Diaper Secret, Fire Water and several versions of our potato guns (okay… call them “launchers”).

Learn how to do the experiments featured on the Ellen Show

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There’s a sneak peek video just posted on the Ellen Show site with the Dancing Fire demo and the last part of the shooting potatoes segment. If you have a second, post a comment on the show site.

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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 like when it's perfectly mixed. Jeff, Carly and Renee served as the mixologists while I called the producer at the Ellen Show to let him know that we were ready to roll to the studio. 

Watch the Cornstarch Water Walk Video

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