We have had a lot of fun with this little Christmas science experiment. It is so simple, it is definitely worth a try if you have a few minutes to spare and want to give the kids a good laugh.
Here is what you will need:
A small jar, or similar, decorated as a snowman. We covered ours in modeling clay and painted it but you could get the kids to paint a jar or decorate it as they wish. (The jar I used here is 100ml volume but you can alter the size.)
Some water (I used 40mls)
Washing up liquid (I added about a tablespoon)
Baking soda (also know as bread soda or sodium bicarbonate, but NOT baking powder… they are quite different)
A teaspoon.
Something to stir with
White malt vinegar (I used 40mls)
Here is what you do:
First add the water and then the washing up liquid.
Next add a heaped teaspoon of baking soda.
Give it a good stir.
Add all the vinegar, quickly, stand back and watch’s the poor snowman’s brains explode… that’s got to hurt!
And once your poor snowman has recovered, you can give him a quick rinse and do it all over again!
The Science bit:
It is all down to the vinegar and baking soda, when the two are added, they react rapidly together and one of the products of the reaction is carbon dioxide gas (CO2). This gas mixes with the diluted washing up liquid forming a white bubbly foam that erupts out the top of the snowman.
Simple! Seasonal! Science!
Happy Christmas.
*****
Looking for some more #science and #craft ideas for the Christmas Season? I have two guest posts on the lovely Where Wishes Comes From blog; Click the links below to pop over and have a look. There is lots more to see over there as Sadhbh is running a Craft Advent special, a different activity every day!
I don’t know what meal times are like in other homes, but in ours they tend to be chaotic and unpredictable. Take a simple breakfast last week as an example. Nothing too fancy… there was literally only cereal on offer. But cereal boxes can be great conversation openers, especially if they are from the BEAR company and are covered in all kinds of interesting facts.
“Are black holes real and what is spa-ghett-if-ication?” Asked the 11-year-old, cereal box in hand.
Things have been a little crazy around here of late, so we are happy to embrace the darker colder days, a roaring fire and, of course, some Netflix. Want to know what we have been watching? Well, here is what the adults have been enjoying, and next week we’ll share the children’s choices.
My favourites…
I have just finished the first series of Netflix’s Grace and Frankie. I liked it from the beginning but quickly got to really love it! It is the perfect blend of warm-hearted humour, with the kind of characters you grow to love very quickly. It was my perfect “wind down” TV viewing and I can’t wait for the next series. In the meantime though, I am happy to rewatch some of my favourite episodes, like the one where Frankie and Grace go out for a night out together, and each gets to choose the clothes the other wears!
I also watched The Duchess, staring Kiera Knightly. I’ll admit, I am not always a bit fan but I did really enjoy this one, and, as a mother, I could really relate to certain parts, although thankfully I live in a much more gender-balanced world!
When I have the control and tv all to myself and feel like an extra special treat I love to watch an episode of Chef’s table! There is no part of this series that I do not love! The food, the chefs, their life stories, the attention to detail, the ups and downs. The passion of each chef really comes through in this excellent documentary.
The male perspective…
My husband has a string of recommendations, none of which I have seen, so I think I need a day of complete catching up!
Firstly, he really loved Narcos, I did see a bit of it but decided it wasn’t for me but I have heard great things about it and he assures me that it was really well made and a great insight into what really went on.
He enjoys quirky, more alternative movies and so his current top three are Horns, Spring and What we do in the Shadows. Horns stars Daniel Radcliff, who finds himself with a dead girlfriend, a town out for blood (his) and two even more disturbing facts…. firstly, he is growing horns and secondly, people seem obliged to tell him the absolute truth. Some things are better not said, and, people sharing their inner thought with you is not always a welcome event. As you can imagine, this can make for very humorous viewing… on the darker side of mainstream!
Spring is another very alternative film, somewhat slow moving but with an interesting plot and ultimately, a love story, coming from a very unusual angle. He says it certainly keeps you interested!
What we do in the shadows is apparently a very funny portrayal of a group of vampires trying to deal with modern life from banal domestic squabbles to feeding problems and the real issues with eternal life. If you like a quirky film, this one is for you.
On a more sombre note he says Beasts of no nation is rough but compelling. Sometimes it is good to take your head out of the sand for a while.
A united front…
Of course, sometimes we do sit down together, as “real” grown-ups and, on the odd occasion, we get to see a whole movie, start to finish, no interruptions, children miraculously asleep. On such occasions, we have managed to watch…
The Help! I loved the book and the movie definitely did not disappoint, both of us thoroughly enjoyed it! A big, fat ten out of ten! With a lovely ‘feel good’ factor ending! The only down-side to the movie is that you will NEVER want to eat chocolate cake again!
If you enjoy nature programmes, as we do, and want one with amazing camera shots and imagery, then you can’t go wrong with Hidden Kingdom. I would love to see a documentary on the making of it, to see how they managed all those amazing shots! Take a look…
Another (black) comedy that we really enjoyed (and all this makes me realise how ‘alternative our viewing is’) was A long way down. Definitely one to watch.
So that should keep you going for a while… now I’m off to hide the remote so I can get first dibs tonight!
******
Disclosure: As a member of the Netflix Stream Team I have received a years subscription to Netflix, free of charge, and an Apple TV, for streaming purposes. As part of Netflix Stream Team I will be posting monthly updates on what we are watching and what is on offer. All opinions expressed will be my own.
We woke this morning to find the science equipment had been raided…. by a group of dinosaurs! They were caught red handed… reading the science books (and checking out interesting facts about their relatives), rummaging through the equipment and hoisting themselves up to shelves for better access. The children thought it was great but I am a little worried. What are these dinosaurs planning?
It looks like dinovember might have arrived at the Science Wows house! Let’s hope they don’t get up to too much mischief!
We found this pair reading up on some dinosaur facts…
Did you know that the tail of the Apatosaurus may have acted like a bullwhip, breaking the sound barrier as it did so? These enormous dinosaurs lived more than 150 million years ago and may have used their super sonic tail action for defence, communication or courtship.
These guys were helping from below;
While the pterosaur flew up to prepare the rope….
…and hoist up some back up!
Did you know that, although pterosaurs lived along side dinosaurs (from the late Jurrasic period) they are in fact winged reptiles?
I really hope they don’t plan on opening any of these paint bottles!
This one seems very interested in electric currents!
Giving a homo sapien a helping hand!
I think it is going to be a long month with this crew running loose. If you want to keep up to date with their antics follow science wows on facebook, twitter and instagram.
And remember to keep an eye on your household dinosaurs… have you noticed anything unusual?
The Hallowe’en break has finally arrived! If you are looking for activities to keep your family entertained here is something sure to please …. Hallowe’en and science combined into one, fun quiz!
Use it to challenge, entertain or inspire your junior scientists, or get all the family involved and see if the children can beat Mum and Dad!
There is even a certificate to print off at the end of the quiz.
Remember to follow the screens right to the end, to find out an interesting fact on each question.
Good luck and have fun!
I hope you have a great Hallowe’en, and remember, there are lots of science experiments you can try too… check out the oozing pumpkin, the spooky cups, or the glowing monster slime; or how about making your own fake blood? All in the name of spooky science fun.
Filming of the Is Eolaí Mé series is well under way… and it looks amazing! I got to see the finished set for the first time last Monday morning, and it was even better than I imagined. Peadar, the presenter, has been working his way through the science curriculum and so far we have managed not to blow anything up, but the experiments are certainly entertaining the whole crew!
Peadar has been joined, each day, by some really enthusiastic young scientists who have helped him with demonstrations, facts, experiments and, of course, the adrenalin fuelled “Science Challenges”.
Do you want a sneak peek?…
Almost ready to begin!
Matt, the man who can “build anything”, makes a few last minute adjustments!
Peadar takes a quick break, after another successful experiment.
Getting ready for another challenge… wonder what this one will be?
The pigs were a big hit!
There is so much more to share… but I guess you will just have to wait for it to air. It will be a great aid for teachers and classrooms as well as a really fun show to watch at home.
*****
Is Eolaí Mé is a new children’s science programme produced by Meangadh Fibín to be aired in 2016 on Cúla 4, TG4.
This blog has made it to the shortlist in the Blog Awards Ireland… Woohoo! Not so woohoo is that fact that public vote counts for 30% of the marks for this round of judging. I hate asking – but I’m asking… if you like what you see here could you please take a minute to vote. It is very quick, and, thankfully, does not ask for emails or any personal information.
Simply click on this link (or the badge below) which brings you straight through to the Best Education and Science Blog shortlist; Scroll down and choose Dr. How’s Science Wows and then just click DONE.
And that’s it.
Click the badge to start your vote
A very big thank you from Dr. How for all your support so far.
It certainly was one of those weeks… and I am not referring to the school return, I am referring to THAT picture.
A photo.
A small boy.
At first glance… another family photo on my timeline?
A closer look… a feeling of unease.
Realisation hit and a feeling of disbelief.
How could this happen?
His name was Aylan.
He was three.
I love that age… walking, talking, infuriating, opinionated and a bundle of love and fun. Life is for living when you are three… and I can only imagine that is what Aylan’s parents thought as they put his life, and the lives of his whole family at risk, boarding that boat and grasping the small hope that, at the other end, lay a chance at life – at real living.
As a parent, how desperate do you have to be to take that chance?
I have spent the week asking myself that but, to be honest, I can only follow the thought so far… there are some things you never want to think about.
Then there was another image, that of Aylan’s dad, outside the morgue, collapsed against the wall. He began his week with a glimmer of hope, he finished it with utter despair.
My son spotted the photo of Aylan in a newspaper earlier in the week, as we stood in a shop queue.
I watched his expression… bewildered and questioning. He looked away, then, like many of us… he looked back. He looked up at me and as I waited for his question my brain was scrambling for the correct response.
How could I explain this atrocity to my son when I still couldn’t understand it myself? In the end he looked away … never working out what question to ask, and I understood how he felt.
Yesterday there was a new image… I watched the scenes unfold in Munich as the first Syrians arrived. They first appeared a little shocked, who could blame them. But then smiles started to spread across their faces, finally reaching from ear to ear. How long had it been since they smiled a full smile? I am guessing they felt hope too, because that is what I felt as I watched. And I saw a small boy, like Aylan, in his father’s arms, with a face full of delight.
I know that the image of little Aylan, and his story, will stay with me forever. I hope the image of that small boy in Munich will stay with me too.
Now I finally feel ready to tell my son all about the boy in the photo. We will talk about the events and lives of families, just like ours, and we will decide together how we can help.
There are many options, here are just a few…
Go to Uplift.ie to sign the petition urging the Irish Government to do more to help. You can also find links to donate money from here, or even pledge a bed! For anyone in the UK you can sign a similar petition here.
You can join a virtual coffee morning – organised by the Irish Parenting Bloggers. Just click the link to find out all about it.
You can spread the word in any way you can think of, join the blog hop mentioned below, if that is your thing or used social media ( we are using #ReadFeelAct) or word of mouth to tell anyone and everyone how they can help.
This post is part of a “blog hop” organised by the Irish Parenting Bloggers Group, in response to the current crisis and in an attempt to raise awareness and provide a few ideas and links for people who might want to help.
You can read what others have posted by clicking on the posts below.
I was chatting with my son the other evening when he stopped for a second and said… “you know I really feel like we had this exact conversation before, sitting here, in the exact same way… and that happens to me a lot”.
Time to explain déjà vu.
First off, it is a phenomenon that most of us have experienced. Understandably, it is not an easy thing to study; it tends to happen rarely, is very brief (the feeling usually last between 10 and 30 seconds) and is usually unpredictable. So unless we all walk around with wires stuck to our head, it is a hard one to monitor.
Before looking further into the study of déjà vu, or explanations as to how it works, a definition is required.
Déjà vu is a French term, coined in 1903 by French scientist Émile Boirac and meaning “already seen”. It describes the sense that you have already experienced a current event. It is a sensation that is happening in real time… you are feeling it during, not before, the event so it is not a predictive sense.
Here is an example… you have travelled to a new city for the first time and, as you sit outside a café, listening to your friend talking and feeling the sun on your face you get that very strong feeling that you have lived this exact experience before. And yet you know you have never before been to that café, in that city, with that friend.
So when does déjà vu happen?
It can happen anytime, anywhere. Some people say it happens frequently, some not at all. Through survey and analysis of defined groups the data suggests that people have their first experience of déjà vu between the ages of six and ten, that it is most common among 15 to 25-year-olds and that the occurrence tends to taper off after that.
Of course the first experiences in the six or older bracket could also be explained by a sufficient cognitive ability to recognise and verbalise the sensation, perhaps not present in younger children. Why does déjà vu appear to reduce after the age of 25? It is suggested that this may just be that people become less intuitive or aware of the signs and sense of déjà vu as they age. So a higher frequent of the experience could suggest a heightened awareness and analysis of environment and feelings.
How is déjà vu studied?
As mentioned above, there are a few difficulties in studying the phenomenon of déjà vu; One direct method is with questionnaires and study groups. With something like déjà vu of course, the answers are very subjective.
More direct study methods, have been carried out by Anne Cleary, professor of cognitive psychology at Coloroda University. Initial studies tested to see if images with familiar links could trigger a memory response, even when the link is not obvious. These studies included looking for familiarity triggers in people shown a series of words, some of which had similar sounds. In other studies, volunteers were shown lists of celebrity names and then a variety of celebrity photographs. They were then asked to indicate which celebrities in the photographs were among the list of names originally shows. Interestingly, a large number of volunteers were able to correctly answer these questions, even when the celebrities and their names were not obviously known to them.
Cleary and her team moved on to more complex test methods looking for déjà vu type responses triggered by 3 D computer simulated scenes, appropriately named Déjà ville.
The study group donned computerized headsets that immersed them in a sequence of 3D scenes. The scene layouts appeared unique, however, certain ones contain geometric shapes, like a chair, placed at the exact same grid reference as previously seen in another sample. The scenes with the repeat spatial element tended to trigger feelings of familiarity.
More physical methods of studying déjà vu focus on tracking brain activity with either direct methods like an Electroencephalography (EEG) or indirect methods, like functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The unpredictable nature of Déjà vu makes this type of study difficult. However, these methods have been applied to two specific groups of people who have a more frequent or predictable form of Déjà vu.
One such group – chronic suffers of déjà vu, are part of a study currently being conducted at a memory clinic at the University of Leeds.
Another group consists of patients with a specific type of epilepsy (medial temporal lobe epilepsy) that affects regions of the brain associated with memory. These regions include…
the hippocampus (involved in memory formation, transfer of memory from short to long term and control of spatial memory)
the amygdala (involved in processing of emotional memory)
People with temporal lobe epilepsy often report a déjà vu like experience directly before a seizure. In studies where this process is triggered by electronic stimulation, an increase in neuronal firing in the hippocampus and amygdala have been reported.
How does déjà vu work?
The short answer is that the exact mechanisms and triggers of déjà vu are unknown, but here are some suggestions based on current research:
Déjà vu may simply be the result of a momentary signally mix up, while the brain process the sensory input of the current moment it simultaneously triggers memory recall.
As Anne Cleary’s virtual reality studies implied, déjà vu could be a sensation associated with an unconscious recognition one or more familiar items in an otherwise new scene or situation.
As with temporal lobe epilepsy it could be a result of brain signals misfiring, neurons transmitting random signals within the medial temporal lobe (memory processing area) of the brain.
Déjà vu may be the result of a storage issue… as we experience the moment and generate a new short term memory of it, it may incorrectly get logged in long term memory… so we suddenly feel that we have experienced it before.
Do you have any interesting déjà vu stories or have any different suggestions to add?
