I took a large smoke ring blaster that I used on the Ellen DeGeneres Show to the 9News studios in Denver this week. I demonstrated the power of air pressure and what a microburst looks like. What resulted was giant smoke rings blown across the television studio and scripts and hairdos in chaos.
The smoke ring blaster is a larger version of the Airzooka toy. It was built for a sub shop promo in Minneapolis. I asked if I could use it to teach kids about air pressure.
Let’s start with a huge thanks to Ellen DeGeneres and everyone at the Ellen Show for inviting me back for more fun and a few science experiments. It was a great show with an extra level of buzz backstage because Matt Damon was Ellen’s special guest. I was especially excited to get to share my latest discovery with Ellen and her viewers – the biggest air cannon I’ve ever seen! Take a look…
On behalf of the entire Spangler Science team, we want to thank our friends at Colle+McVoy for allowing us to use their baby. The big air cannon was originally created by the very creative people at this ad agency to help celebrate a milestone for one of their clients, Erbert & Gerbert. What you didn’t see in the video above is all of the other vortex rings we shot into the audience using the big air cannon. The audience
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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 just arrived in Shannon, Ireland and we’re headed to the University of Limerick for the Irish Science Teachers Association meeting. I’ve had the great fortune of speaking at this conference twice in 1997 and 2000 where I made some fantastic friends in the science education world. When I spoke the first time in Cork, I can remember taking all of my demos over with me on the plane (oh how times have changed). Twelve years later, FedEx delivered my demos after signing my life away and, I’m happy to report, everything arrived in one piece. But there are a few things that are difficult to ship over for one reason or another. When I arrived at the University of Limerick today, I was greeted by Bob Kelly who had a 220 volt smoke machine in hand, a bag of balloons filled with sulfur hexafluoride (SF6 for the Reverse Helium demo), and a large trash can. I just can’t remember if I asked them to turn off the smoke
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It’s official… I’m flying out to be a guest on the Ellen DeGeneres Show next week. Back in April of 2006 when a producer on the show originally contacted our office, I asked for your suggestions on experiments to do with Ellen. Lots of people suggested my Smoke Rings demo and Ellen might have taken your suggestion (hint, hint). Let’s just say that our office was filled with lots of smoke today as someone practiced shooting cups off of everyone’s head. We’re told that the air date will be next Friday, September 21, 2007. More to come.
