The growing bacteria from the 9News experiment

BJ and Howie are familiar voices to morning listeners of Alice 105.9. Whenever their conversation veers off on a science tangent, I know that my phone might ring. Several months ago, Howie was so certain that the studio was infected with mold spores that he paid to have his workplace tested. Any guesses? That’s right… no mold of any significance. Today’s issue is one of bacteria and germs.

Listen to the Interview on Alice 105.9

Early last week, Mikey the morning show producer called our office and order a Growing Bacteria Kit. Like good little science soldiers, they cooked up the nutrient agar and prepared the Petri dishes. The next day, Howie followed the growing bacteria instructions and swabbed areas of the studio where he thought the germs and bacteria were running wild. After letting the “stuff” grow for a few days, BJ and Howie invited me down to the studios for a quick look at their science project.

Here’s the important point… unless you have the samples professional tested by a qualified biologist in a lab, there’s really no way of knowing exactly what is growing on those dishes. I’ve been told by microbiologists at the University of Colorado at Boulder that while the “hairy” stuff looks bad, it’s probably nothing more than common mold. On the other hands, those  brightly colored dots (red, orange and yellow) are probably something much more serious… but that’s as much as anyone will say until a “real” test is performed.

So, to console BJ and Howie, I took them some cuddly Giant Microbes (Flesh Eating Disease, Mad Cow, Salmonella) and also invited them to touch 50,000 volts of electricity in hopes of killing off any lingering bacteria.

Listen to the interview…
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We are honored to periodically host the Carnival of Education. Hats off to our good friend Jane Goodwin for all of her work on the latest Carnival. – editor

It’s time to put on our thinking caps and experience the 190th Carnival of Education, right here at Steve Spangler’s blog!

All learning is scientific, you know.  The world is a giant laboratory, and every day, we are all, regardless of our ages, making discoveries never before known to mankind.

Perhaps some of you will make some discoveries right here at the Carnival of Education!

Remember now, we don’t all necessarily have to agree on everything to appreciate it, or realize that it has a value.

Let’s begin with some Games for the Brain.  That will make us alert and ready for some educational action.

Over at Three Standard Deviations to the Left, there is some discussion about low expectations.  Mr. IB lets us know, in no uncertain terms, that HIS expectations are high.

So You Want To Teach gives us a list of “10 Things I Wish I Knew As A First Year Teacher.”

The Chancellor’s New Clothes tells us of a teacher who covered for a student, and wonders how far a teacher should go, and how much a teacher should risk, for a student in need?

I think we should all go over to California Teacher Guy’s blog and compliment him on that t-shirt.  We all need one of those.

Mamacita hated study hall when she was in school, and she hated them even more as a teacher.  Jane Goodwin talks about how the once-valuable study hall has become a dumping ground for our worst and laziest students.

The Collegiate Way teaches us all about the equinox.

Coach Brown, over at A Passion for Teaching and Opinions, gave his students the opportunity to use note cards on a quiz.  Find out what happened.

Ms. Cornelius wants to know if we’re really serious about wanting to improve our public schools.

Mrs. Chili wants someone to explain to her why they’re watering the artificial turf at a local U.

Over at Nucleus Learning, the question of paying students for doing schoolwork has arisen.

Did you know that today is National Punctuation Day?  Neither did I until Apostrophe Catastrophes told me so.  I read this blog every single day, and you should, too.  It’s a riot!

They’re giggling about Moron Monday at Bellringers.

Doug, at Borderland, wonders what education would be like if it got the same bailouts from the government that Wall Street gets.

Britannica Blog is talking about what to do about childhood obesity.

Hobo Teacher explains why not having a printer in your classroom is very, very frustrating.

Learning style or learning preference?  Lead from the Start has an opinion; do you?

Words I Can Dance To wonders if we should pattern our educational system after our health care system.

Matthew Ladner wonders if we are buying into the messianic myth with school leaders.

Over at Detention Slip, they’re talking about arresting parents when their kids skip school.

Grrl Scientist gives us a link to a tour of the human body that is absolutely fascinating.

Ms. Teacher talks about racism.

Elementary History Teacher made me realize that I really knew nothing about John Wilkes Booth except for his night at the opera.

Are classroom political discussions and lessons one-sided?  Andrea Hermitt talks about Politics in the Classroom.  And speaking of politics in the classroom, Scripted Spontaneity puts in his electoral two cents’ worth, too.  DO NOT miss the video on Successful Teaching.

Pissed Off Teacher is wondering if we’re teaching our students to think of themselves as failures.

Joanne Jacobs always has something to think about on her blog.  Let’s all click on over there and see what she has to say about placing low-performing students in algebra classes.

Is there a growing anti-teacher sentiment?  Lorri Giovinco Harte is wondering that same thing.

Polski3 asked the vital question:  “Does your school suffer from NVA?”

What is the best way to teach a child about another country?  SoulTravelers thinks that the answer to that question is simple:  Take the child there.

Matthew Needleman can teach us all how to be video podcasters!

NYC Educator wonders why school cafeteria food is so darn expensive.

What are your thoughts on technology in the classroom?  Stories from School wants to know!

Teacher in a Strange Land asks this question: What do we give kids, in their mid-afternoon slump? And then, she answers it:  Social studies worksheets.

Genuine shares with us the advice a humble man once gave him.

Life Without School compares internet dating sites with homeschooling!

Over at Inside Pre-K, there is talk of collaborating teachers and learning English.

School Psychologist Blog Files discusses parent-school relationships.

Learn Me Good has a few suggestions as to how the Dallas school district might make up that large deficit.

Effective public service messages have given us many “sayings” that we remember today.  The Core Knowledge Blog wonders why there aren’t any public service messages about reading!

In Practice thinks that Brainpop is doing a pretty good job.

Teaching a foreign language can be difficult, but the rewards are fulfilling.  Just ask It’s A Hardknock Teacher’s Life.

Scenes from the Battleground tells us about a field trip he once took, in a post entitled Holiday in Hell, Pt. I.

Homeschool Memoirs gives us a detailed description of a homeschool daily routine.

Miss Malarky believes that “democracy of any sort is not for children in middle school.”

Let’s Play Math!

The Education Wonks, founder of the Carnival of Education, writes about “Stupid Is as Stupid Does.”

The Tempered Radical doesn’t agree with Obama that more technology and slick stuff makes better schools.

What It’s Like on the Inside insists that differentiation should be applied to teachers as well as students.

The Thinking Mother reviews a book about autism and Asperger’s, and doesn’t say what you might think she’d say.  In the long run, you know, we all have to do some adapting, because the world doesn’t adapt to any of us.

Got writer’s block?  The Reading Workshop gives us some hints on how to overcome it.

Need an autumn treat for your students?  Why not bring in some toasted pumpkin seeds?

Right here on our blog, Steve Spangler tells us about something one of the teachers who attended his latest Hands-On Science Boot Camp learned.  Giant soap bubbles, anyone?  Don’t forget to watch the video; it’s awesome!  And hey, while you’re already right here, why not sign up for the Experiment of the Week over there to your right?  Or, right here:  Experiment of the Week.

That’s it for the Carnival of Education, Week 190.  I hope I didn’t leave anyone out.  If I did, please let me know and I’ll put you right smack in here with all of these other exploring, curious, innovative, sharing, experimenting professionals, and if that’s not a description of a scientist, I’ll eat my hat!

One more thing:  You people who keep submitting websites that encourage plagiarism or which are nothing but sales pitches should keep your plugs and campaigns away from the Carnival of Education.  We’re deadly serious about what we do, and we resent salesmen and those who would help entice a student to cheat.  Sure, occasionally a carnival host falls for your scheme, but usually we see right through you.

To those genuine educators and parents who submitted their own or someone else’s excellent blog post this week, I thank you.  Our children thank you.  And our nation thanks you.

Our schools, whether they be down the block or around the kitchen table, are the hope of the future.  Our children deserve the best . Let’s give it to them.

Sean Moncrieff is the host of the Afternoon Show on Newstalk 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.

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I recently recorded a conversation held between me and Stephan Spencer, president of search engine optimization company, Netconcepts.

Spencer talks about the basics of both social networking sites, such as whether or not you should make your profile private if you are worried about your job, or prospective jobs. There are plenty of cases where exactly this has happened.

I can recall myself a time when my company was hiring and it was possible for us to gather a lot of personal information about the candidates just by going to their social networking profile. I had never thought of using these websites to learn more about the prospective employees, but it does work.

It’s not just making your profile private, but you also have to be weary when you are making comments on other people’s public profiles which can then later be associated back to you.

I also link it back to teachers, making the point that teachers could make a better connection with their students if they were found on the social networking sites. All they have to do is make sure they are actively moderating comments for anything that may be inappropriate.

Make sure you listen to this conversation for more information about the two popular social networking sites.

Doubling the number of participants in science fairs is a personal goal of mine, mainly because of the approach taken to it by teachers.

We often tell kids that they have to participate in the upcoming science fair, but we haven’t shown them how to do it. It’s difficult to get good results when the process hasn’t been modeled and the expectations haven’t been spelled out. It’s like if we told them to go outside and play soccer while handing them a ball but they didn’t know how to play, let alone seen a game of it.

So, here’s one possible solution to the problem… The teachers at Wilder Elementary had each child in their respective class do the same experiment with guidance by the teacher. For example, each student in the second grade conducted the same plant growing experiment. The classroom teacher guided each student through the process, helped the student collect and interpret data and arrive at a conclusion that answered their starting question. The trial was a great success, involvement in the next science fair increased from previous years, and teachers were excited that the students were actually using the scientific method in a controlled setting. Sure, it’s guided inquiry… but only through practice can we as teachers ever hope to move our students to a self-guided level.

Full explanation of the “Science Fair Boot Camp” is available in the embedded podcast.

It was fun to see David Willey on The Tonight Show this evening doing some nice variations on the classic sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) demo. This is the inert gas that is six times heavier than the air we breath. If you breath in helium (six times lighter than the air we breath), the pitch of your voice goes up. However, if you breath sulfur hexafluoride (six time heavier than normal air), your voice sounds low. You’ll find a complete explanation of the sulfur hexafluoride demo or anti-helium experiment as some call it in my experiment library.

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For the Tonight Show, David filled an open top plastic box with the gas and proceeded to float aluminum foil boats and bubbles on this very dense gas. These demos got a nice reaction from the audience. Instead of inhaling the SF6 gas from a balloon, David had Jay Leno dip his head down into the box and inhale some of the gas. As you might imagine, Jay had fun with his “Barry White” voice.

After showing the heavy gas demo on 9News last year, Scott Merrick from Snacks4thebrain visited our lab in Englewood, Colorado to tape this video of the sulfur hexafluoride experiment for YouTube.

I felt like Tom Hanks in Cast Away as I raised my bundle of tinder and exclaimed, “I made fire!” Several months ago, I mentioned on air that I had never seen anyone who could rub two sticks together and make fire. By the time I stepped off the set, I already had nine emails from people who claimed to be able to start a fire using what is called friction fire. Ford Church, the Founder and CEO of the Cottonwood Institute in Boulder, Colorado wrote the most compelling email (okay, he sent a picture of high school students making fire in one of his survival workshops) and I invited him to be my guest this afternoon on the 9NEWS Four O’Clock Show. Watch the video and you’ll see why this guy trains people all over the country in survival skills – he’s good. Within five minutes of setting out his supplies, he had fire. But he’s an expert… what about me? Ford gave me a quick lesson, showed me the finer point of “bowing”, taught me how to transfer the ember to the tinder and… voila!… I made fire.

Watch the video and learn how to make fire.

There’s always a buzz this time of year about ways to conserve water as we head into the hot and dry summer months (but remember that there’s no such thing as global warning!) Aside from reducing the amount of water we use, the water-wise are turning to water-absorbing polymers as a way to reduce watering times by 50 to 80%. These jelly-like crystals start out small (like the size of rock salt) and absorb tremendous amounts of water… like a water-slupring sponge. The so-called Water Jelly Crystals hold water in the soil so it can be released to plants as they need it, and they can help reduce watering demands of plants by up to 80% in drought conditions. Learn more about the application rates and how to use the polymer in your garden or watch the video from television.

Anyone using the crystals either in class as an educational tool or in your garden?

Disappearing Ink is a great tool for chemistry teachers to demonstrate acid-base indicators. Just squirt a little on your shirt and the carbon dioxide in the air turns it from blue to colorless. If your breath works well, it only makes sense that a shot of carbon dioxide from a fire extinguisher works great… and it does. Here’s the Fire Extinguisher Demo in action – the lab coat guy looks surprised…

But here’s what you didn’t see on television. I was on set and ready to go with Nick O’Kelly when I looked down at the fire extinguisher and thought to fire off a test blast. I pulled the trigger and… nothing. Nothing! We were less than 30 seconds to air time when I ran to the back area of the studio and pulled the CO2 extinguisher off the wall… broke the tab and I was ready to go. Literally seconds later, the red light came on. I squirted disappearing ink on Nick’s coat just as planned and told him that the secret to making the “ink” disappear was carbon dioxide. When it came time to blast Nick with a little carbon dioxide, little did I know that it would come flying out with the force of a hurricane! The fire extinguisher that I normally use is a kinder, more gentle spray as opposed to a blast.

I will never forget St. Patrick's Day 2006. This morning I woke to the screams of our almost four year old twins, Mark and Scott.

"Daddy, wake up! Look at what those Leprechauns did," yelled Scott. I jumped out of bed to find the twins picking up green and gold coins that peppered the living room floor. Traces of gold dust covered the counter top, and a glass of water that was left next to the sink was now green. By this time, our seven year old, Jack, was scouring the house in search of more evidence of Leprechauns.

"Mom! Dad! Bring the boys here. Look at what I found in the toilet," screamed Jack.

You guessed it… the toilet water was green. This was sufficient evidence for the twins that our home had been visited by Leprechauns – they took the bait hook, line and sinker. As I glanced over at Jack, I could see his wheels were spinning. While he never said anything out loud, his facial expression told me that he wasn't buying this whole Leprechaun thing.

"What do you think about those Leprechauns?" I asked. "Oh, it's pretty cool," Jack replied. Then he whispered to me, "Daddy… I kind of know that Mommy just colored the water with food coloring."

For the first time as a parent I felt his disappointment. He wanted so badly to believe, but his ability to think and reason was getting in the way of him believing in Leprechauns. My little boy was growing up – figuring things out – becoming wise to the ways of the world. In the mean time, Jack's brothers were caught up in the frenzy, searching each toilet and sink for more green water. In a split second I had to respond. "Jack, you're probably right. But let's keep it our little secret… deal?"

Jack seemed fine with the deal, but his face told a different story. The magic was gone. I walked Jack over to the kitchen sink and handed him an empty glass. "If Leprechauns were real, the water coming out of the faucet would be green," I said, with a sense of defiance in my voice. Just then I turned on the faucet and the water began to flow… and it was green!

"Oh my gosh! Daddy! It's green! Mommy, come here… right now! Mark, Scott, get over here!" This time the screams of excitement were real. "Mommy, the Leprechauns are real. They really colored our water. Look at this…" A wonder sense of fun filled the house as the boys ran from faucet to faucet to check the water supply. In each case, the water came out green.

Call me sappy, but I could feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up as I looked over at Mommy who was holding the glass of green water. "The water came out green," Renee said, with a smirk on her face. "I know the Leprechauns must have visited last night." But there's more …

It's probably best that you stop reading this if you're one of those people who wants to believe.

But if you want to know how we made the water turn green, keep reading. The secret is nothing more than a few coloring tablets secretly hidden in the screen of the faucet. The tablets are called Fizzy Tablets or True Color Tablets. You can find them on-line or occasionally at a department store. Don't use Easter egg dye tablets because they stain! 

Just unscrew the screen piece from the end of the faucet and dry the screen with a paper towel. Place a few of the coloring tablets in the reservoir and twist the screen piece back onto the end of the faucet. Some of the tablets only come in red, yellow and blue, so you'll need to combine a blue and yellow tablet to make green. It's that simple.

When you turn on the water, the tablets dissolve and color the water. Remember that it only lasts for a short time before the coloring tablets completely dissolve, and the color is the most vivid during the first few seconds. Be sure to collect a sample in a cup to prove that it really happened!

It's amazing to me that something so small and easy to do can make a memory as unforgettable as this. I hope the Leprechauns find their way to your home.

The Colorado State science fair judges were not the only ones who were impressed with Raleigh Burt, an 8th grader from Sargent Junior High School in Alamosa, Colorado. His first place, award-winning project caught the attention of many people who often wondered if they really needed to wear a bicycle helmet. After recording a podcast interview with Raleigh several weeks ago, I invited him to join me on 9News 4 O’Clock Show to demonstrate his ingenious contraption in person. Raleigh agreed to share his project write-up on-line to give people a chance to see the research and data behind his conclusion.

Download Dangerous Decision: The Consideration For Helmet Use At Any Speed (1.1 MB)

The project grabs your attention from the opening lines…

Would you voluntarily run at a full sprint headfirst into a brick wall? Now, think of sitting on a bicycle without a helmet, and then tip over with a little over a second to intervene before your bare head hits the ground. Which sounds worse? Despite the fact that bicycle helmets are considered the single best means of protecting cyclists from the leading causes of head injuries and death, many people still choose not to wear them stating that: “I don’t ride fast enough to need a helmet.”? That is the choice many riders make to become one of the 67,000 cyclists who will suffer a head injury this year. From the height of a recreational riding position, a simple tip-over fall can
create enough speed and energy to cause substantial damage to the human head and brain. In other words, it is the height of the potential fall and not just the speed the cyclist is traveling where the threat of injury exists.

Raleigh Burt was the 2005 Junior Division Best Individual Project Winner. If you want to know what it really takes to be a state champion, you owe it to yourself to download his full report. Oh, by the way, it doesn’t matter how fast you’re riding your bike… wear your helmet.

What does it take to be a state science fair winner? Listen to my podcast with Raleigh Burt, an 8th grader at Sargent Junior High in Alamosa, Colorado. This young man has a tremendous amount of wisdom and great advice for anyone who wants some “inside tips” on how to create an award-winning science project. Read more about Raleigh Burt’s project on bike helmet safety.

Every year in February I make a pilgrimage to New York to attend the International Toy Fair. The city is host to some 20,000 buyers and industry professionals who are on a quest to buy and sell the latest creations in the toy market. On Monday, I met up with Toy Guy Chris Byrne to broadcast live from the Toys R’ Us store in Time Square back to 9NEWS in Denver. See the video.

Kenny Luna has been very busy getting people excited about his bright idea. Mr. Luna is an 8th grade science teacher in North Babylon, New York, who wants Oprah to help him give every child in America (PreK-12), just one Compact Fluorescent(CFL) bulb to take home and plug into their favorite lamp. You’ve seen these bulbs at the hardware store”¦ those curly fluorescent bulbs that twist into a normal lamp socket. Bottom line – this action could save at least $2.3 billion in electricity costs.

Ken’s idea is spreading like a virus. I recently recorded a podcast with Ken so you can hear in his own words why he’s so passionate about his bright idea.

Listen to Mr. Luna’s podcast

Let’s see… what could you watch on your new video ipod? Episodes of NBC’s “Office”… ad-free music videos… or some guy in Denver who teaches you how to do cool science demos. Hmmm… that’s a tough choice between Office and the music videos. I’m pleased to let you know that many of our science segments from television are now available as a podcast through Apple’s iTunes. Even if you don’t have a video iPod (oh, please Santa, please), you can download the segments into your iTunes application (what? no iTunes? just download it for free).

Subscribe to the Steve Spangler Video Podcast

Here’s a “do not try this at home” science demonstration that illustrates how dry trees are susceptible to catching fire and ways to avoid this potential fire risk.

Watch the Christmas Tree Fire Video

Lots and lots of teachers do the “egg drop” activity with their students. Basically, here’s how it works… each child gets an egg and some parameters for making a container that will protect the egg and keep it from breaking if it were dropped. The teacher usually perches herself high atop the roof of the school and tosses the boxes (or whatever contraption the kids come up with) to the ground as crowds of kids scream with delight. It’s great fun to hear the cheers and an occasional “darn!” when the egg drop engineers open their containers.

I had an idea several weeks ago as I was planning my upcoming television segments for November. What if I a group of 5th graders challenge the the packaging experts at UPS (you know, the guys in the brown truck) to an egg drop contest. Better yet, what if we did it on live TV? Would “corporate” allow such a contest? What if the egg broke? Click on the video link below to watch the showdown between a team of eight 5th graders from Village East Elementary in Colorado and two packaging experts from UPS.

Watch the Egg Drop video

There’s just nothing more impressive than whipping the tablecloth out from under the Thanksgiving meal. The classic whip-off the tablecloth trick is a must for any aspiring science demonstrator who wants to be amazing! It’s time for the classic “whip off” the tablecloth trick – guaranteed to either bring down the house or to get you into a lot of hot water. The idea is really quite simple – yank the tablecloth out from under a beautiful place setting without destroying the meal. It’s easy if you take a science lesson from Sir Isaac Newton.

Watch the Tablecloth Trick Video

Everyone probably has a memory of a favorite uncle or grandfather who could do a few tricks at the dinner table. Okay, in my case it was my father who could magically bend spoons, vanish the salt shaker and eat his napkin (I know… kind of strange). With Thanksgiving right around the corner, I recently featured a table trick on television using an ordinary soda bottle and a packet of ketchup. If you didn’t know the secret, you’d swear that you’d seen a demonstration in telekinesis.

Watch the Diving Ketchup Video

Just call it the Halloween After-Glow. No, it’s not the warm feeling you get in your heart when you think of all of those darling little Trick-or-Treaters or think of the fun kids had opening their candy. The “After-Glow” refers to the light coming from inside the pumpkin after the kaboom! Hundreds of chemistry teachers from across this great land of ours joined together yesterday to share their favorite Halloween science demonstrations.

VIDEO: Steve’s Exploding Pumpkins

Here’s your next question… How do you do it? Since this is a classic chemistry teacher demonstration, it’s best to consult your favorite chemistry teacher or let your fingers do a little “googling” to research the various ways to produce the small amount of acetylene gas in the pumpkin… or just read through the comments below.

Editor’s Note: This experiment was presented in this forum for educational purposes only.  We DO NOT recommend trying this experiment in the classroom unless you have had proper training to do so.  Please note that Steve Spangler Science takes no responsibility for comments posted on this site.

On a personal note, I know that Steve practiced this experiment at least 20-30 times with trained professionals, in a controlled environment, before presenting the experiment on the air.  Even for television, the experiment was performed with safety personnel and fire officials on-site.  This is not a do-it-yourself activity.

Please have a safe and happy Halloween – the Editor