Meringue

Exploratopia: Making Meringue (pg. 89)

This really was about the elasticity of egg whites and the net they create for the air. We started out with a few experiments with rubber bands and water. We always get excited about tasty science and having our home school exchange friends over made it a bonafide party.

Whip it and measure it and spoon it on a tray

And bake it in the oven for a chocolate fondue par-tay


The chocolate was our idea and it was a good one.

DNA experiment

Exploratopia: We Know Who You Are (pg. 99)


Kitchen Scientists

Everybody gets a piece of the action: Adding isopropyl alcohol


Mixing water and dishsoap
Now for the secret ingredient. Sparkle isn't excited, but ultimately consents to donate a few loose cheek cells to science.



We had to run this one twice and still didn't get stellar results, but we understand how tiny DNA is, that everyone's is different (except identical twins) and we've started a collection of glass jars for future experiments.

Creativity and Connectivity

If you have never visited TED.com prepare to have your mind blown. Current innovators in every field share their ideas in 15-20 minute presentations. I can only handle about three or four in a day or my brain will get stretch marks. Here's an easy one for starters and it relates to the last post about creativity and relevance: Ken Robinson says schools kill creativity. Like Ken, I believe that every child is a genius. One commentator says of Ken's idea,

"This thesis feels so authentic. The premise is not that we all need to be artists. Rather for me it says that releasing the idea that there is one right answer, or one right way to educate, opens up a world of possibility. [...] All means of retaining our inherent human creativity should be pursued passionately."

If you're interested in more about creative genius try Elizabeth Gilbert on nurturing creativity. This was my first TED talk.

If you've taken sides in the debate of left brain vs. right brain or academics vs. arts join Robert Lang as he illustrates how origami is improving art, space research and medicine.

Despite being reared in a culture of specialization, my personal philosophy is that all truth is circumbscribed in one eternal whole. Every truth enlightens, improves and applies to every other truth. My ultimate goal is total integration. Let's connect. What are you discovering?

Mummified hot dog

From Exploratopia  

This experiment takes 17 days to complete.  If presenting, you may want to have one hot dog completely mummified, one that has only been prepping for 1 week to observe the process and one that is "fresh" if you can use that word to describe a hot dog. ;)

What you Need:

*A plastic container that's several inches longer, wider, and deeper than your hot dog

*A very large box (or two smaller boxes) of baking soda (sodium bircarbonate)*A small scale, like a postage scale (optional)

*An ordinary hot dog (could be beef, turkey, vegetarian- doesn't really matter because you're not going to eat it)

*Paper and pencil

*A ruler

*A piece of string at least 3 inches long

What you do:

1.  The ancient Egyptians mummified very important people-royalty like King Tut.  Out of respect to your very important hot dog, we have named him King Oscar.

2.  Fill the plastic container about two inches deep with baking soda.

3.  If you have a scale, weigh King Oscar now.  Record his weight.

4.  Use your ruler to measure how long King Oscar is now.

5.  Use your piece of string to measure the distance around King Oscar's middle.  This is his circumference.

6.  Make notes on what King Oscar looks like now so you can compare that with what he will look like later.

7.  Place King Oscar on top of the baking soda in the container and cover him with more baking soda.  Make sure the baking soda is a couple of inches thick on the top and sides of dear departed king Oscar.

8.  Place King Oscar in a special place (not back in the refrigerator).  Leave him there for a week.

9.  A week later, remove King Oscar from the baking soda.  does he look different?  what does he smell like?  how long is he now?  What is his circumference?  Write down your observations.

10.  If you have a scale, weigh him again.  Did he lose or gain weight?

11.  Throw away the old baking soda and surround King Oscar with fresh, new baking soda and put him back in his special place for ten more days.

12.  Ten days later, take King Oscar out of the baking soda again.  what's he like now?  he's been transformed into a stiff, leathery mummy!  Now he will last a very long time.  (Egyptian mummies are thousands of years old!)  Put King Oscar in a place of honor.

What's going on?

The dramatic changes seen in King Oscar are direct results of dehydration, which means that water is removed from something.  If you'd left Kin Oscar out in the open without baking soda, he would get moldy and smelly.  food that's not refrigerated goes bad because bacteria and mold need water--and you've used baking soda to take the water out of King Oscar.  Not water... no rot!  King Oscar is preserved for posterity.  That means for future generations, infinity and beyond.)  One fine day, some future archeologist will dig up your mummified hot dog... or maybe not!