Comments on: Weird science

By: mamster

mamster — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 17:58:04 +0000

Sure! Maybe I’ll make kiwi granita or something.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 01:25:32 +0000

I have TONS more if you want! We harvested 5 grocery bags and a box full. We don’t know what to do with that many.

By: mamster

mamster — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 16:30:45 +0000

I know how to extract DNA (thanks for the reminder) but did you know that kiwis grow in Seattle? Our friend Sara gave us three kiwis that she grew in her backyard and they were tasty.

By: Chris

Chris — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:19:18 +0000

I have a protocol for extracting DNA from kiwis or strawberries using everyday household items, if you want to do that. It assumes straight alcohol is an everyday household item but it works great.

In addition to not showing Iris how to throw powders into fires, I assume you’re also not reproducing the “does it blend” videos from the Good Food podcast?

By: mamster

mamster — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 18:22:27 +0000

Because they’re ninjas, that’s how.

We call this Oobleck, as in the Dr. Seuss book. Iris loves it. Thanks for the reminder, though—we haven’t done it in a while.

By: heather

heather — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 16:57:48 +0000

also fun? mixing cornstarch and water together (in pretty equal amounts, though i just add and add until, you know, it works)...

when you get the proportions right, you can poke it slowly and your finger goes right into it, like a liquid. BUT if you poke it really hard, your finger bounces off the top, like a solid! science is awesome!

(i had a babysitter that would make this for us...that was her hook. they also did it on mythbusters, as their final "how would ninjas run across water?" test.)

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 02:55:52 +0000

Yep, that’s the one. We used to use the generic version as part of our ice cream recipe at summer camp.

By: Neil

Neil — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:26:40 +0000

Dream Whip®

http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/Products/ProductInfoDisplay.htm?SiteId=1&Product=4300025953

By: mamster

mamster — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 15:33:48 +0000

There’s such a thing as powdered whip cream mix?

By: Kathleen

Kathleen — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 05:54:32 +0000

Ha, great minds. I was going to suggest that you teach her to hypothesize if she wants to be a real scientist.

A really fun experiment of this sort involves throwing various powdered kitchen products into a fire to see what they do -- different things make different levels of sparkage. Powdered whipped cream mix makes the biggest splash that I know of, but various sugars and spices produce varying effects. You know, if you want to teach your daughter to play with fire.