I have been asked a few times lately if I am going to recommence the Mystery Creature series on the blog…. so here it is. The idea behind this little series is that I post a new Mystery Creature at the start of each week and at the end of the week I will update the post to say what the creature was, along with a little information about it.
If you know what the Mystery Creature is then share in the comments below. It is all in the interest of learning and a bit of fun so feel free to ask questions, guess or even do some googling or research to find out the answer yourself.
Here is the Mystery Creature for this week… do you know what it is?
Photos Credit: Steve Hamedl
Update: Want to know what the creature is? Check out the end of week “reveal” to find out.
Halloween is all about dressing up and sometimes you just need a little fake blood to really set an outfit off. We love making our own and with a little science knowledge you can get just the right consistency and colour that you are after.
You will need…
You will need…
Smooth Peanut Butter
Golden Syrup
Washing up liquid
Red food colouring
Green food colouring
What to do…
This is one of these experiments that does not come with an exact protocol, just add the following ingredients until you are happy with the appearance of it, then apply and freak out all your friends!
When you think you have the fake blood just the way you like it do a little test on a white cloth or tissue and adjust further if necessary.
If you want to experiment a little more try making your own fake blood choosing your ingredients from the following list:
Smooth Peanut Butter
Golden Syrup
Washing up liquid
Red food colouring
Green food colouring
Blue food colouring
Chocolate syrup
Cornflour
Cocoa powder
Ribena
Chocolate syrup
Tomato ketchup
Brown Sauce
So what is happening?…
The trick to making good fake blood is to get the colour and consistency right. The food colouring, washing up liquid, cocoa powder, ribena, peanut butter and ketchup will all influence the colour of the blood. You want to get a dark colour, deep red colour so the chocolate and green food colouring will often give the red a darker effect.
It is not just about the right colour though, the consistency of the blood is important too. The cornflour will thicken the blood and make the colour more transparent, as will the peanut butter, syrup and washing up liquid.
The fun is in mixing and changing until you get your ideal fake blood, then apply and freak out your friends and family, all in the name of Halloween fun.
With a name like “Glowing Monster Slime” you just know this experiment is going to be fun! Just look at the photos if you need any convincing!
You will need
You will need…
two small bowls or cups
one large bowl
PVA glue (white or clear is you can get it)
*Borax Powder
Fluorescent paint (you can get non-toxic fluorescent paint in most craft shops)
something to stir or mix with
*You can pick up the borax powder in your local chemist (See note below)
What you do…
To the first cup add half a cup of fluorescent paint and half a cup of PVA glue and mix well.
Mix the glue with the flourescent paint
In the other cup add half a teaspoon of borax powder to one cup of water and mix well until all the powder is dissolved!
Dissolve the borax in the water
Now for the fun bit… pour the glue mixture into the bowl then add the borax solution, mixing all the time.
Mix together the glue mixture ans the borax solution
After a while you can use your hands to mix and mould until you have one big lump of slime and there is little, or no liquid left!
The fun bit
You can store your slime in a ziplock bag or clean jar, it lasts a very long time once you do not let it dry out. You may notice a small layer of liquid separating off the top of the stored slime. This can just be poured off and the slime will become a little more rubbery and less sticky.
When you have finally finished playing just store away
If you have a UV light (black light)** you can make this experiment even more fun by checking out how your slime glows in the dark once the lights go out and the UV light is turned on.
Sooo much fun!
So what is happening?…
Congratulation… you have just experimented with polymers!! In simple terms a polymer is a substance made up of lots of molecules arranged in long chains. If you imagine that the glue is like cooked spaghetti, it slides and slips around the place quite easily. When we add the borax to the glue it causes some of the molecules in the glue to stick together making the glue more rubbery and less liquid! Imagine if you took those strands of spaghetti and tied them together in places, the strands would not be able to slip and slide around nearly as much! The borax and glue mixture is just like your knotted spaghetti!
*Where can I get Borax powder?
In Ireland you need to buy Borax powder in a pharmacy. The production is a little erratic and the larger volumes are no longer available! You should be able to get a 100g tub in any pharmacy and it costs between €2 and €3.
**Where can I get a UV light?
This experiment is lots of fun without the UV light but the glow in the dark bit really does take it to a different level. My youngest nearly burst waiting for the night to fall so we could do that part of the experiment. If you are considering buying a UV light you should be able to get one fairly cheaply. I got mine from Maplin. I will be sharing lots more glow in the dark experiments, so if you do get one remember to check back here for some more ideas.
I hope you enjoy this as much as we did and please let us know if you do try it out!
UPDATE 2017: Borax powder is no longer as readily available in Ireland. here is one alternative, using very simple ingredients… check out this post on how to make silly putty.
Or check out our Ultimate Slime Guide for lots of fantastic slime recipes using contact lens solution or laundry detergent.
Schools, children, parents, teachers… listen up! There is a great competition (by Reel Life Science) running at the moment where pupils from both primary and secondary schools are invited to make a three minute science video with a chance to win €1000 for their school.
The competition is a wonderful way to get pupils, their schools, and families interested in Science from a new perspective… from behind the video lens. Launched last year in Galway the competition was so successful it has now gone nationwide!
The competition is broken down into a number of different categories so there is a lot of scope to develop and document your own favourite scientific topic.
If you need some inspiration there have been a number of guest posts from professionals in each area sharing some of their research or opinions on each topic. You can check them out here.
There is even a post from Dr. How’s Science Wows to help inspire you on the topic of Science in the Garden. However, I enlisted the help of some resident “experts” so you may find it more humorous than inspiring. Check it out here if you want to see what happens when you combine “mischief” and science!
This is a fantastic opportunity and is a very unique competition in Ireland, so please spread the word and get your school or classroom involved.
CLOSING DATE FOR VIDEO SUBMISSION IS FRIDAY OCTOBER 17th SO DUST OF YOUR LENS AND PUT YOUR THINKING CAPS ON AS IT IS TIME TO LET THE CAMERAS ROLL.
This week’s question for Dr. Simple came in from a little boy who has just turned five and sometimes goes by the name of Spidey (you might find him here); He wants to know…
Why is the sea salty?
This is a great question and Dr. Simple was delighted to “dive right in” and answer it!
Before Dr. Simple gets stuck in it might be a good idea to look at the definition of a sea and an ocean. Dr. Simple will use the word sea to mean both, which is commonly done, but there is actually a difference between the two words…
This week Dr. Simple answers a question that comes in from a lovely little girl who can sometimes be found here; she would like to know…
What makes the wind?
Did you like Dr. Simple’s explanation or did you find it “a load of hot air“?
Personally I preferred the little girl’s own explanation… she reckons the wind is made by the trees flapping their leaves! A much more simple, and beautiful, explanation, don’t you think?
Remember to keep your questions coming, just leave them in the comments below and Dr, Simple will be happy to answer!
“I’m enough of an artist to draw freely on my imagination, which I think is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world.”
I have looked at imagination at work in life and it never ceases to amaze me. When I see my children share the knowledge they have learned I encourage and applaud with pride but when I see their imagination shine through I really stand back in awe… it is theirs, it is unique and it is truly amazing!
So yes, I do believe imagination is more important than knowledge, but I also think that if you combine both you are really tapping into life’s power. What does science have to say about it?
What is imagination?
Imagination is creativity in action. It can be using our brain and our senses to create an image within our mind.
Imagination draws on our experiences and knowledge of the world around us and combines them with the complete unknown to make something new.
It allows us to explore beyond the constraints of our environment and our reality, into a world of dreams, where creativity and invention are at their strongest.
Science has long held that the complex nature of imagination must involve more than one area of the brain. The idea and the proof have been hard to amalgamate but recent studies using advancements in the monitoring of complex neural interactions within the brain provide new evidence for this theory. The findings from this study suggest that imagination uses a large portion of the human brain, creating an interconnecting network of activity across many different areas.
Imagination really does light up our brains!
Is imagination unique to humans?
It would appear that imagination (at least in its complete form) is a uniquely human experience. It has allowed us to modify and develop our surroundings and to create and invent new ideas, new structures, new technologies. Imagination also allows us the very human emotion of empathy as we can literally imagine another person’s life experience without ever having actually experienced any of it.
In the words of JK Rowling…
“Imagination is not only the uniquely human capacity to envision that which is not, and, therefore, the foundation of all invention and innovation. In its arguably most transformative and revelatory capacity, it is the power that enables us to empathize with humans whose experiences we have never shared.”
The evolution of imagination
Our early ancestors, the hominids showed basic levels of imagination in their tool making abilities, cooperative hunting skills and social interaction and colonization. It would appear that their level of imagination was limited though, perhaps with respect to their brain size and their compartmentalized thinking.
As modern humans evolved scientists have reported an increase in brain size, advances in technical skills and creativity and a development in social complexities. Farming, sophisticated tool making, complex language development, the performance of rituals and the development of art and crafting all required a complex development of thought and mental interaction…Imagination!
A more developed neural network within the brain, connecting the different areas of brain function, must have had some part to play in all this. The majority of these changes evolved between 500,000 and 200,000 years ago, to the eventual emergence of the modern human.
The importance of imagination in our development and learning
As a parent this is the part that I am most interested in. What part does imagination play in my children’s development?
Science has shown that imagination stimulates brain function and activity. It literally expands the mind as it encourages connections between so many areas within the brain.
Both neurologists and psychologists agree that play in early childhood is necessary for children to develop at a normal rate and to reach their full potential.
Imagination and play have been shown to increase brain development and growth in children. At a neurological level imagination can increase the number of neural connections within the brain, linking different regions. These links need repeated stimulation and activation to be maintained.
Imagination is an activity that used the whole brain rather than isolated, individual sections.
Use of the whole brain in this way increases a child’s problem solving abilities, emotional development and social interactions.
Early childhood (between the ages of three and six) is usually when children are most actively involved in their imagination. Through pretend play children create their own imaginary world, allowing them to develop and learn from the new experiences they explore.
When children start school there is often a shift in how they play, moving towards games with more social interaction and rules. These games still engage the children in creative play, often with a more cognitive imaginative thought process.
Imagination is a vital learning tool within the classroom. Children will learn and remember more powerfully when imagination is included. Imagination will create more neural links within the brain, engage more regions within the mind and it will bring the subject to life!
This holds true for all subjects not just the ones we consider more creative. I have always loved maths, for example, and I remember from a young age that each number took on a personality for me. This probably increased my enjoyment of the subject and certainly would have increased my memory and ability.
As children grow it is important therefore that their imagination is constantly stimulated and encouraged. As they enter their teenage years imagination will allow better social interaction and social awareness as it encourages a better sensitivity to the needs and feelings of those around us.
Imagination can also decrease stress levels as it encourages problem solving and the possibility of positive outcomes and solutions.
A powerful imagination is a wonderful skill to have and a very important one to nurture throughout all stages of life. To really reach our full potential I believe imagination and play should be as important in our daily lives as love, nutrition and health.
How can we encourage imagination within our children?
We all have imagination within us, that is what makes us human. We do not need to instil it within our children but perhaps we can encourage and assist what is already there. Starting from a young age we can encourage pretend play, imaginative fantasies and the belief in some things unknown.
An imaginary friend can be encouraged rather than feared. Dress up clothes are a great facility for a child’s imagination. There are many simple toys that can assist a child in a wonderful make believe world. It is also a wonderful reinforcement for children to see their parents actively involved in the imaginary worlds that they create.
Here is something new to the blog… A Simple Slice of Science! With these posts I hope to answer a little science related question in 30 seconds or less. These posts will be presented by a new character on the blog…. folks, meet Dr. Simple!
Dr. Simple
What can I say about Dr. Simple? Well, he is a bit of a lab coat nerd, you can tell just by looking at him, right? The good thing about Dr. Simple is that he is a man of few words so a perfect candidate for presenting one science topic in 30 seconds!!
In a nutshell… Dr. Simple likes to keep it simple!
I am hoping that A Simple Slice of Science will become a regular spot on the blog, so if you have any science type questions that you wanted answered in a 30 second way, leave your question in the comments below and Dr. Simple will be only too happy to give an ever so simple answer!
First up… Dr. Simple has been struck by a little bout of hiccups! He thought it might be a good opportunity to tell you a little about what they are and how they work… all in 30 seconds!
Why do we hiccup?
I hope you like this new spot, please do leave me a comment telling me what you think, and remember… keep those questions coming!
We can’t get enough of magnets in this house it seems! Last week we shared one of our favourite games and this week it is all about how the compass works, how to make one and another great game to try!
Who invented the first compass
The ancient Greeks knew about lodestone, an iron rich rock that was naturally magnetic. The Chinese are credited with discovering that loadstone would always point towards North if suspended to allow it turn freely. A Chinese Scientist called Shen Kua described the first magnetic needle compass in 1088 AD; his experiments with suspended strips of magnetised iron showed how the strip always points North and how this could be used in navigation.
The arrival of the compass modernised navigation and travel, especially by sea. Before the compass, sailors relied on navigation by the stars but this was tricky on a cloudy night!
Did you know… sailors were forbidden to eat onion or garlic as their breath was thought to interfere with the compass needle?
How to make your own compass
Make your own compass
You will need… a circle of paper, a needle, a magnet and a bowl of water.
……….
What to do… thread the needle through the circle of paper so that nearly all the needle lies on one side of the paper (see below). Stroke the needle 30 times in one direction with one end of a strong magnet. Lift the magnet between strokes. Float the circle of paper on top of the water in the bowl (needle side up). The paper should spin around slowly for a few moments and then stop. The needle should now be pointing North-South. You can confirm this with a compass if you wish!
……..
So what is happening? The needle contains little particles of iron that are all jumbled up. When the needle is stroked with the magnet it makes all the iron particles align in the same direction (North-South); the needle is temporarily magnetised!
A really fun game to keep the children entertained
You will need…
You will need…. some non see through cups or bowls, some treats or treasure to find, a compass, a notepad and a pen.
Setting it up… this is an easy game but it does require a little setting up before you let the children loose! Place the cups (upturned) all around the garden, hiding a treat underneath a few of them. One treat per child.
Decide on a starting point. Map out a route for each child starting at that point and walking X steps North/South/East or West.
Map a different route for each child to a different cup containing the treasure, here is an example…
take 3 steps North
take 3 steps East
take 11 steps North
take 14 steps West
take 5 steps South
take 10 steps East
take 11 steps West
You can make is as long and winding as you like. Remember to get an idea of each child’s step length before you start! Once you have prepared a route for each child you can call them out and let the fun begin.
Each child starts at the same point and needs to follow the instructions given to them, using the compass for direction! Once the instructions run out the child lifts the nearest cup to (hopefully) reveal their prize.
All ready at the starting point!
This game is great for teaching children direction, learning how to follow instructions, read a compass and how to work as a team, if you change the rules to teams instead of individuals.
The beauty of this game is that you can make it as simple or as complicated as you like, adjusting each set of instructions to a child’s age so children of different ages can get involved.
Lots of fun for all ages
My children are ten, eight and four and they really loved this, we have plans to make it bigger and better next time!
Did you guess last week’s Mystery Creature? It was the Thorny Devil (Moloch horridus) or Thorny Dragon. This formidable looking lizard is native to Australia. But it he as dangerous as he looks? Here are some interesting facts about the Thorny Devil.
The name Thorny Devil or Thorny Dragon is quite an intimidating monocle but even more so is the scientific name for these lizards… Moloch horridus; Inspired by the poem Paradise Lost (by Milton) in which the god Moloch is described as “a horrid king besmeared with blood of human sacrifice”!
In reality the Thorny Devil does not live up to it’s name as it is small in stature (no more than 20 cm), slow moving and eats only ants (thousands per day)
As well as ants, the lizard needs water to survive the arid scrub lands and deserts of it’s Central Australian habitat. It has a very interesting way of “harvesting” water. It walks slowly through the scrub letting dew drops fall on it’s thorny body. Between the thorns are tiny channels that carry the water right to the Thorny Devil’s mouth.
Another interesting feature of this animal is it’s defense mechanisms. Although in reality it does not have any real weaponry of defense it’s thorny exterior acts as a deterrent to potential predators (mainly wild birds). If this is not enough he bends his head, revealing a false head with big horns above his neck.
So although the entire surface of the Thorny Devil is covered in spiky scales these are to defend rather than to harm!
I don’t really think he deserves the name, but it might just add to his street cred and keep the predators at bay!
What do you think… cute or ugly, or just misunderstood?
