Yearly Archives: 2016

Quarters (Matthias Shapiro)
One of the key properties of metals is that they typically conduct heat and electricity extremely well. There are countless practical applications of conductivity, plus some cool science projects. One of the more interesting projects is shrinking a quarter using electricity. Actually, it doesn’t need to be a quarter, but […]

How to Shrink a Quarter Using Electricity

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Spherical Fire in Space (NASA)
Fire in space looks and behaves differently from fire on Earth. The reason is because we’re used to seeing flames bound by the influence of gravity. If you light a candle on Earth, you get a recognizable flame-shaped form and combustion proceeds with oxygen drawn into the flame from the […]

How Fire in Space Looks and Works

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Baby Wipe Tie Dye Art
Baby wipe tie dye is a quick and easy art and science project that’s safe for kids. While the product resembles 1970’s art, the pattern is pure science. Here’s what you do and an explanation of how it relates to scientific principles. Baby Wipe Tie Dye Materials All you need are […]

Baby Wipe Tie Dye Art (and Science)

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Mesocyclops Mosquito (Dept of Foreign Affairs)
Here’s an e-mail I received with important information regarding natural mosquito repellents. My article on natural mosquito repellents includes a caution about the safety of natural products, but this letter does a great job of explaining the hazards: Dear Dr. Helmenstine, In your recent article on natural mosquito repellents, you listed several […]

Natural Mosquito Repellents Aren’t Automatically Safe

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Rainbow Paper Heart
It’s super quick and easy to make rainbow paper! The rainbow effect results from light passing through a thin film, exactly like the beautiful interference patterns you see on bubbles. While bubbles pop, the rainbow stays on paper. You can do this project as a simple way to present thin […]

Rainbow Paper Thin Film Science Project

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Pink Easter Rabbit Peep (Qfamily)
Happy Easter! Here’s a simple recipe for Peeps™ s’mores and a look at the science of why Peeps get so crazy big in the microwave. Peep S’mores Ingredients Graham crackers Peep marshmallow candies Chocolate kisses (or chocolate bar pieces) The recipe is easy and fun. Take a graham cracker, set a […]

Peep S’mores Easter Science Project

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