Sean Connolly - The Book of Totally Irresponsible Science: 64 Daring Experiments for Young Scientists

THE BOOK OF

TOTALLY IRRESPONSIBLE SCIENCE

SEAN CONNOLLY

W orkman P ublishing N ew Y ork

To my companions on this wonderful journeyFrederika, Jamie, Anna, Thomas, and Dafydd

CORE CONCERNS

HARNESSING THE ELEMENTS

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

HOW MOVING!

A LOT OF HOT AIR

100% NATURAL

MAD SCIENCE

Back of Book

The Oxford Dictionary of English defines science as the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment.

This definition explains the link between humankinds earliest paintingswith their vivid depictions of cave lions and predatory wolvesand the NASA space shuttle studies of atmospheric winds using laser radar. Through the ages, whether or not they called themselves scientists, people have observed and experimented their way to a better understanding of the world and how it works.

Throughout our history, we have been driven by curiosity and the need to know. Scientists have probed all manner of conundrums, teasing out answers and sharing their findings. Just think of how much of our knowledge can be traced to questions such as:

Why does the sun rise and set every day?

Why did that ripe apple fall down from the tree and not up?

If water expands when it becomes steam, could it be used to drive a piston?

Could more than one computer be linked together using, say, a telephone connection?

We knowor know how to find outthe answers to these and thousands of other questions that have inspired scientists through the ages. And we can see the benefits all around us, especially in the field of technology, which harnesses the advances of science and turns them to practical advantage.

The Book of Totally Irresponsible Science carries on this noble tradition of scientific exploration and takes it to newyet, in many ways, familiarareas. After all, the quest for knowledge does not end when we hang up our goggles and turn off the light in the science lab. The everyday world provides us with the tools to carry on with our scientific probing.

The 64 experiments described in the following pages use ingredients or materials found in most households or which can be easily bought. Like the classic scientific experiments, which use questions as launching pads for inquiry, these experiments also seek to find and demonstrate answers. Some of the answers, however, might well tie in with a completely different set of questionsalong the lines of:

Whats that straw doing inside a potato?

Son, have you seen my blow-dryer?

What in the world has happened to this geranium?

Wait a minute! Is that my new Black Eyed Peas CD floating around over there?

All of this brings us to an important word in the title of this book: irresponsible. Where does being irresponsible tie in with conducting experiments? Isnt it the opposite of the scientific method? Or is it possible that there could be more than one reading of the word irresponsible?

Kids, for instance, are always being labeled irresponsible: by their parents because they dont clean their rooms, or walk their dogs, or keep their schoolwork neat and tidy. But for kids, these responsible duties simply get in the way of their irresponsible pursuits, like climbing trees or building sand castles. These activities, which are fueled by their curiosity and imagination, can be considered irresponsible to a certain degree, but it is exactly this definition of the i word that I wish to employ in this book. By that definition, each of the experiments certainly does merit the descriptive term irresponsible.

Although using the i word, The Book of Totally Irresponsible Science advocates due care and attention in each experiment. The presentation of each experiment is straightforward and logical, right down to any words of special warning that apply to the experiment. So please do take care when doing all these experiments.

The Book of Totally Irresponsible Science offers everyone, young or old, the chance to enter the fascinating world of science. For kids, who may just be entering this world, this book offers the opportunity to witness firsthand the almost magical appeal of basic physics and chemistry. But while we hope for the active participation of budding young scientists whenever possible, these experiments should always be conducted under adult supervision. Bear in mind that the responsibility for each experiment lies with the adult supervising it. These experiments are for children as well as adults, but they are not to be conducted by children without adults.

The final section of each experiment, Take Care!, highlights any particular warnings relevant to the experiment. Some of these are no more than bits of friendly advice on how to get the best effects. Others have a more practical aim of drawing the readers attention to ingredients or actions that call for extra care. A special Match Alert! is a prominent flag to any experiment that involves matches or an open flame.

Apart from producing a result that will amuse, enchant, or possibly even inspire, each experiment is presented in a form that most of us recognize: a simple recipe.

The 64 entries in The Book of Totally Irresponsible Science are grouped into seven chapters, each representing a different scientific theme or intended result.

A typical entry introduces the nature of the experiment and what to expect, before breaking it down into the following sections:

Time Factor: The timefrom the first stage of preparation to the oohs and aahs at the conclusionthat it will take to perform this experiment. You might have a whole weekend free or only a few minutes to spare, so each experiment will have this handy guideline. You will also find a list in the back of this book grouping the experiments in order of time required.

You Will Need: A straightforward list of ingredients.

Take Care! Special advice (and in some cases, warnings) for the experiment.

Method: Numbered step-by-step and easy-to-follow instructions.

The Scientific Excuse: The raison dtre for the experiment, or possibly your hurried explanation to an impatient or angry parent!

So, isnt it time you went out and built that volcano youve always wanted to build? Or maybe you want to make your own ice cream in a coffee can? Perhaps youve decided youre ready to change the color scheme in your living room, starting with the plants that are already there! The following pages will let you do all of these things and much more, all in a spirit of playful scientific inquiry.

For most of the experiments, a broad smile and an open mind will count for far more than a white coat and a calculator. So throw yourself into these funny, eye-opening, quirky experiments and see where they take you. And in the process youll have a chance to learnand maybe even teach othersa little science!