Friday, July 3rd, 2009

Some Projects to Try on Your Summer Vacation (Or Perhaps Not)

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Theo Gray, author of Mad Science, demonstrates what happens when you fill bubbles with hydrogen and light them on fire. Warning: SciFri does not advise trying this at home. (Credits: Video courtesy of Theo Gray. Music from Prelinger Archives. ) Viewed 28828 times. See More Videos

If you're a fan of science demonstrations, you're probably acquainted with the phrase "don't try this at home." In this segment, we'll take a tour of some of those risky experiments -- and talk with Theodore Gray, author of "Mad Science," about how he went about doing some of them. We'll also find some slightly less adventurous experiments that you may indeed want to try on your own this summer.

Guests

Theo Gray
Author, "Mad Science: Experiments You Can Do at Home But Probably Shouldn't," (Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers, Inc., 2009)
Co-Founder, Wolfram Research
Urbana, Illinois

Anne Helmenstine
Chemistry Guide, About.com
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

William Gurstelle
Author, "Absinthe and Flamethrowers: Projects and Ruminations on the Art of Living Dangerously," (Chicago Review Press, 2009)

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Segment produced by:Annette Heist

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Image: The fiery demise of soap bubbles filled with hydrogen gas.
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Image: Soap bubbles being inflated with pure hydrogen gas.
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