Reveal invisible secret messages and drawings under a black light with a spooky homemade Halloween projector.
These handheld projectors are perfect for puppet shows, lighting up while trick or treating, flashing messages in the dark to your friends, haunted houses and more. Take them outside for fun after dark. Decorate a piece of paper, draw your message or picture with a fluorescent highlighter, glue it to a cup, add a black light and you are ready to take on the night.
With the Black Light Secret Message experiment, you’ll see that certain highlighters aren’t just brightly-colored – they’re actually fluorescent and glow underneath a black light! The secret messages and floating images you’ll create with this experiment are sure to create screams of joy and shrieks of excitement. Some even break open highlighters and squeeze out the ink to make glowing potions. On Friday, we will share the Science Behind some of our favorite glowing recipes.
It’s a classic science reaction that dates back to the late 1800′s. The Classic Iodine Clock Reaction reaction was used by magicians and psychics at Halloween time to remove the evil thoughts or evil spirits from someone’s body and mind. They obviously doesn’t actually remove anything…they just make starch.
This reaction is delayed for a few seconds, which can make the subject startle and believe that they actually made the liquid change. For more information on the Landolt Clock Reaction, visit the Think Ink Experiment.
Note: This method is not recommended for anyone other than a chemistry teacher or a chemical demonstrator. Safety goggles must be worn at all times and gloves are required when handling sulfuric acid. Preparation for this demo must be conducted in a well-ventilated area. The Steve Spangler Science team developed a safer do-at-home version
In one cup of Gravi-Goo there is about four million linked molecules. The long strands of molecules are called polymers. Pour the liquid from cup to cup and the long strand of molecules will pull each other along, or siphon from one cup to another. They are so determined to stay together, that they will pull each other uphill.
After experimenting with the Gravi-Goo, Steve and his sons threw the mixture away. (You don’t want to pour it down the drain.) A little bit of goo hung over the side of the trash can. The next morning, a large pool of Grav-Goo sat on the floor. As the small blob of molecules began to fall from the trash can to the ground, they pulled their friends along and siphoned out of the trash can.
Barbecue grills are a big part of summer and especially the end of summer over Labor Day weekend. With a barbecue or charcoal grill, food is cooked over a flame. Where there is fire, there is an inherent danger. In this week’s video from 9News, Steve explains how a common mistake can have tragic results.
Occasionally during the summer barbecue, lighter fluid erupts in the hands of the chef. This happens when the fuel is sprayed onto a barbecue or charcoal fire, the flames ignite the liquid and travel up to the bottle. As the squeeze bottle is released, the flame is sucked inside, along with oxygen. The chef thinks they are ok, because the flame is no longer visible, but the flame, along with the fuel and oxygen create the perfect environment and explode.
Firefighters warn of this danger using lighter fluid
The Denver Children’s Museum offers fun activities right outside their doors this summer in an exhibit called Just Add Water.
Kids will get wet, drip and splash in this hands-on exhibit. It’s learning through play and there are even a few water geysers throw in.
This is a summer-only event and only goes for a little while longer before closing for the season. But don’t worry, Just Add Water will be back in the summer of 2013.
