Oobleck! It’s a funny name for an odd fluid that defies general liquids’ properties, which earns it the category of non-Newtonian behavior. The defining characteristic of oobleck is that its viscosity changes depending on shear rate, meaning the fluidity changes depending on how much pressure is put on the liquid. If little pressure is put …
Make “Clouds”: Ivory Soap in the Microwave
Here’s an easy two-minute experiment you can try in your microwave. All you need is a bar of Ivory soap! (Take note that you must use Ivory soap for this project to work.) What You Need: Ivory bar soap Knife Directions Step 1 Unwrap a bar of Ivory soap and cut it into six pieces …
Continue reading "Make “Clouds”: Ivory Soap in the Microwave"
Orange is for Zinnia, Nasturtium and Calendula
I hold a special place in my heart for orange, because it’s one of the school colors of the University of Illinois. I challenge anyone who is regularly exposed to brilliant construction-orange over several years to not develop a special appreciation for this often overlooked color in gardens. Here are my orange plant picks that …
Continue reading "Orange is for Zinnia, Nasturtium and Calendula"
Red is for Amaranth and Peppers
R is the first letter in my pal Roy G. Biv’s name, so I’m going to start at the beginning and reveal which pretty and edible plants I’ll grow to highlight one of my favorite colors, red. Amaranth is an ancient grain crop from the New World that can be red, orange or green. A …
How to Reveal a Plant’s Vascular System
Are you looking for a WOW-factor experiment? Then this is the one! For maximum impact, I suggest the next-level option with the highlighter and black light. Plants are more complicated than they appear on the surface. But did you know you can reveal the framework of plant’s physiology in a simple experiment at home? What …
Sunshine and Rainbows
Everything isn’t sunshine and rainbows, except when you plant a rainbow-themed garden in the full sun! After a month of daydreaming, I’ve settled on a challenge for myself. I solemnly vow to fill my garden with colorful flowers and vegetables that represent red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet, or as I prefer to …
Freezing Temps are Best for Blowing Bubbles
Subzero temperatures are great for staying inside, but I can only take so many days of sitting indoors before I create a reason to dash outside. What better reason than to blow bubbles? What You Need: Cup Large straw OR bubble wand 1 cup water (slightly warm to dissolve other ingredients) 4 teaspoons corn syrup 4 …
Continue reading "Freezing Temps are Best for Blowing Bubbles"
Freezer Art
Breaking news from my freezer this week, there’s more ice art! I mentioned odd natural ice formations in my freezer before, but this one is different than the leftover crystals because it was freshly frozen. Here’s how it went down: An uncooked, square dish of lasagna was topped by a layer plastic wrap, and then …
White Coral Bells upon a Slender Stalk…
How many of you immediately thought of the next line in this song? Anyone…Bueller? Bueller? I can’t recall when and where I learned this song, but I must have been a little tyke because I can’t remember. Years passed without thinking much of the song. Then, “BAM!” the first year after I graduated from college …
Pokémon Collectors Make for Successful Scientists
Do you have the meticulous resolve it takes to become a Pokémon Master? If so, then you might have the traits and skills of a scientist! Propensity to Collect As any avid Pokémon player will tell you, part of the appeal of these games is trying to collect every single one of the 800+ creatures. …
Continue reading "Pokémon Collectors Make for Successful Scientists"