Mad Science and Kids
I went to a children's birthday party today (they were about 7 years old) and I arrived late so I missed the introduction of the performer. She had the patter of a magician and she appeared to be doing magic tricks, but I soon realized she is not a magician at all: she's a scientist. She dazzled the children (and the adults!) with super-absorbent substances, chemicals used in fireworks that burn bright colors, refractive lenses that give light sources a rainbow effect, a Tesla coil(!), and more.
During all this I thought maybe she is a UC Berkeley science student who did this stuff as part of a class project. But something was wrong about that notion, because she's just too damn good. It's rare to see someone so thoroughly excellent at performance AND knowledgeable about science. She has stage presence and she really connected with those kids.
Her name is Dora Wedekind, and she's the Operations Manager at Mad Science of Mount Diablo. And she's making a difference. I think I can summarize Dora's work by just telling you one small thing she did. She brought up the word "conductor" and asked the kids to say what they thought it meant. Eventually she gave her definition, that it's a material that lets electricity (meaning electrons) travel through it easily. She then took out her trusty Tesla coil (after having explained that it, well, has a lot of electricity at the tip!) and asked them what they think will happen if she puts it near a piece of plastic. (Nothing.) What about a piece of paper? (Still nothing.) What about a piece of metal, like a pie pan? Wow! A cool-looking arc of electricity.
But what will happen if she puts a piece of paper on the pie pan? Will the electrons from the Tesla coil go through the paper into pan? Or will the paper stop it? "Who thinks it will go through the paper?" she asked. "Who thinks the paper will stop it?" And finally, and most importantly, "Who doesn't know? It's ok not to know. That just means we have to try it to find out!"
Indeed. And there we have the character of science explained in terms that 7-year-olds can understand. Sometimes we don't know things, and that's ok. It means we have to really look at how the world works to find out the answer, rather than just sitting around guessing. These kids wanted to know. I wanted to know. We all wanted to do some science.
So, will the paper block the arc of electrons from forming? I looked around the room as she asked this, pretty sure that the adults didn't know either. I started questioning it, too. I'd think that paper would not be enough to stop the arc, but did I know for sure? Not really. Well, it turns out the paper doesn't stop the arc. And if she leaves the Tesla coil in one place for long enough, it even burns a hole through the paper. She then showed what happens if you try this with magician's flash paper instead of regular paper: you get a big exciting burst of flame as the flash paper is entirely consumed! And while we're at it, let's look at that happen through some refractive glasses to see the interesting rainbow effects that surround the flame!
Dora is the real deal. She's "sparking imaginative learning," and not just because that's the tag-line of the Mad Science company. She's getting kids interested in learning and science before they become adults and forget how to be curious anymore. It makes me wonder: are the rest of us contributing enough?
If you're interested in getting Mad Science to get your kids interested in science with after-school programs, workshops, camps, or whatever else, you can check out Dora Wedekind's branch (Bay Area, California) here:
http://www.madscience.org/locations/mtdiablo/
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Mad Science in any way. I'm just a random person who went to a birthday party. And an amateur scientist.
--Sirlin
April 7th, 2008 at 9:43 am
I want her to come to MY birthday. (Turning 19 next week.)
April 7th, 2008 at 9:50 am
Shouldn’t you be doing something more productive on your birthday, such as consuming copious amounts of alcohol?
April 7th, 2008 at 10:59 am
That’s 21 fool. At least pretend like the law matters.
April 7th, 2008 at 11:26 am
I knew someone in college who worked for a branch of mad science for a while. Seemed to really love the job.
April 7th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Lovely post.
My roommate is a “clown” (not your stereotypical one, more like a silent storyteller. But not a mime either) and I love her acts because you always want to know what happens next. There’s a bit of ludology in it: She can’t speak and she only has her set pieces and body to perform with, so there are certain “rules” to what she can do. But at the same time, her goal is to completely surprise the audience.
I think some of this can apply to the Mad Science performances. I wonder if there’s something like them in Europe.
What about Mr. Wiz? Or was it Dr. Wiz? That program with the older guy and kids and did all those experiments; that was alot of fun to watch on the television.
April 7th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
But was it some random persons birthday party? :P
April 8th, 2008 at 1:17 am
Well this pretty much made my day.
April 8th, 2008 at 2:17 am
I also experienced Mad Science for my children and were BLOWN AWAY!!! These guys were on-time, educated, fun, exciting and really had all the children loving science! I am surprised that the National Science Foundation or some other Federal Agency does not do something with them to help inspire children about science. Think about it… if all kids became interrested in science or at the least keep an open mind about science them more people would get into it and our country might not need to export quite as much abroad. Hey Lou Dobbs…you should feature these guys…WOW!!!
Dale
April 8th, 2008 at 2:19 am
I am going to check them out right now. I bet that they can do a classroom workshop or something for our local public school. We NEED more Mad Science around here and I hope that they get the success they deserve.
April 8th, 2008 at 2:26 am
I too had a great experience with Mad Science at a our daughter’s after-school program. These guys are everywhere…a franchise out of Montreal it seems (of all places). Anyway this month alone Jill (my 5th grade daughter) and Tim (my 3rd grade son) have each been to FIVE seperate Mad Science activities (1 after-school program, a school assembly and three parties). The weird thing is that they want MORE… think about it…kids asking for more science! They should win the Pulitzer Prize for this.
Great work guys… Jill now wants to be a doctor someday… maybe she will do better than her old man!
P
April 8th, 2008 at 3:43 am
The first time I saw a Mad Science demonstration was way back in grade 3. They were a weekly thing, actually. We even made our own periscopes as a project.
April 8th, 2008 at 3:44 am
This Mad Science organization looks like a good cause.
What were you doing at a kid’s birthday party, anyway?
April 8th, 2008 at 10:06 am
I miss Bill Nye…
April 8th, 2008 at 1:21 pm
Yo bbobjs, I live in Canada, so the laws here are different, ie. 18 is legal drinking age.
You should really try thinking before assuming everyone lives in the states
April 8th, 2008 at 1:30 pm
Talking about drinking alcohol is off-topic in a thread about a birthday party for 7-year-olds.
April 8th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
So is talking about talking about drinking alcohol in a thread about a birthday party for 7-year-olds
April 8th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
CWheezy: Wow, really? I’m also pretty sure bbobjs was entirely joking. Untighten that sphincter.
Dale: Mad Science seems like something that would do better with word-of-mouth advertisement.
April 8th, 2008 at 3:27 pm
Wow, that was awesome. I’m lucky I have scientist parents and I learned to love science from them, and then to have some great science teachers in high school who made simple yet effective experiments in class to make us interested…
But boy, I would have loved to see one of those Mad Science performances as a kid! What the hell, I do want to see one now! I’ll have to investigate if there’s something like that here in Spain. Just in case some day I have kids…
April 8th, 2008 at 7:14 pm
I had numerous Mad Science birthdays as a kid. I LOVED them all. They always had some sort of goo, too. I think the activity was to make it into super bouncy balls.
April 8th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
Awesome post. Thanks.
April 10th, 2008 at 1:13 am
Sirlin’s in love! I remember one of those Mad Science things. Most entertaining indeed. It was pretty short, though… probably a demo.
April 10th, 2008 at 7:17 am
I was at a camp fair and ran a booth right next to Mad Science. They’re incredible.
April 12th, 2008 at 7:19 am
This girl sounds like a real catch. So what’s her age and type Dave? :D
I also agree that it’s totally inappropriate to talk about 7-year-olds in a thread clearly digressing towards alcohol. And yes, the legal age to consume alcohol is 21, and we automatons here in America never question it. All you Canadians that think for yourselves need to gtfo.
Right and speaking of blind faith, Dave did you know that you are advertising the Expelled movie on your site? It’s part of your banner rotation. You need to shake that off the list dude. Seriously, Dave. Seriously? Seriously. Seriously.
April 12th, 2008 at 10:30 am
I had been to Mumbai recently and came across this concept where in children can play and learn. Mumbai, as it is, made me miss out on the name of the company, but I think it was some thing like mad science. It was a party organized by my brother to celebrate his promotion and he had put up a stall of these fantastic toys and the children simply couldn’t get away from it. The organizers of the stall had all the right ingredients. Spoilt brats as they are, me and my wife couldn’t believe our eyes when my kids started asking us questions on science and maths which we couldn’t really answer, having left schools ourselves ages ago. First thing I did after reaching home was to check out for the word Mad Science. Yep! that’s it now I remember…
April 12th, 2008 at 11:15 am
I like discipline all the time around my little house in Pune, India. I hate the mess my children make around the house. My husband is busy all the time and he thinks all the responsibility including tidying up the house lies on me and just relaxes when home and has a happy equation with the kids as well…..until we accidentally came across a toy with Mad Science written on it. It is a dinosaur molding set with all the simple instructions and the amazing little stands also which they have provided. The children are all the time absorbed in the ‘Lost World’ and creating their own T. Rexes. When I get the time I want to get a complete info. on all the other toys and DIY range. Now my house is much tidier as my children do not look at the other million toys they have.
April 22nd, 2008 at 12:10 pm
I was a Mad Science teacher last semester, in the Nyack, NY, area. I did afterschool classes at a local elementary school. And you’re right when you say that this company really has it figured out. Some of the things I taught the kids were things that I had never even learned myself. If you give them a handful of slime and teach them what “crosslinked polymers” are at the same time, they’ll never forget what “crosslinked polymers” are. The company also makes it really easy for anyone to get involved even those without any teaching experience - the classes are completely scripted and they give you everything you need (plus a nice paycheck). I found that most of the job ended up being controlling the kids, not because they were hyperactive second graders, but because these kids were seriously excited about science.
May 6th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
It is sometimes better to leave it all to the experts at children event management experts like the Mad Science and us being spectators. Fun for us ’spectators’, fun for the children..a welcome change. That is what these magicians from Mad Science<a href=”http://www.madscience.org/”> did when we the staff of an elementary school in San Jose invited them for after school activity. Since their approach was focussed more towards games and toys and amazing glowing liquids, they quickly grabbed the attentions of our school kids. They were able to firmly plant the concept of polymers in our students’ fast acting brains. Thanks Mad Science fella, we will need you once each year.
July 20th, 2008 at 10:33 am
i am a heron. i ahev a long neck and i pick fish out of the water w/ my beak. if you dont repost this comment on 7 other pages i will fly into your kitchen tonight and make a mess of your pots and pans
July 20th, 2008 at 8:52 pm
Heron, what is the point of reposting your comment if I am not a heron and I can’t pick fishes with my beak?