Weird Science : 40 Strange-Acting, Bizarre-Looking, and Barely Believable Activities for Kids

by Wiese, Jim; Shems, Ed

• ISBN13: 9780471462293
• ISBN10: 0471462292
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-04-23
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

Discover the weird science behind the ickiest, wackiest, most unusual things ever to exist! Would you like to make your own slime, discover how lava lamps work, or learn how materials decompose? Have you ever heard about ball lightning or the Aurora Borealis on the news and wondered what the reporter was talking about? Are you looking for great ideas for your next science fair project? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then Weird Science is for you! From banana slugs and dry ice to optical illusions and time travel, you'll investigate some of the most bizarre scientific oddities on Earth. Dozens of fun-packed activities help you see for yourself how quicksand really works, why our feet sometimes get smelly, how worm holes and black holes are formed, why insects can walk on water, and much more. You'll even see how you can turn these amazing activities into science projects! Each experiment is safe and easy to do, and all you need is everyday stuff from around the house. So get ready to take a strange, creepy, and sometimes even gross journey through Weird Science!

Author Biography

JIM WIESE is a science teacher and an educational coordinator for nonprofit organizations. He is the author of many popular kids’ science activity books, including Ancient Science, Roller Coaster Science, Rocket Science, Detective Science, Cosmic Science, and Sports Science, all from Wiley.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments.

Introduction.

How to Use This Book.

Being a Good Scientist.

Increasing Your Understanding.

Using This Book to Do a Science Fair Project.

A Word of Warning.

1. Weird Substances: Slip, Ooze, and Creep.

Project 1: Slime.

Project 2: Quicksand.

Project 3: Curved Water.

Project 4: Dry Ice.

Project 5: Slime Molds.

Project 6: Moving “Lava”.

2. Weird Plants: Way to Grow.

Project 1: The Eyes Have It.

Project 2: Insect Eaters.

Project 3: Spore Losers.

Project 4: “Corpse Flower”.

Project 5: Epiphytes and Stranglers.

Project 6: Cacti.

3. Weird Animals: No Pets Allowed.

Project 1: Electric Eel.

Project 2: Mudskippers.

Project 3: Weird Ants.

Project 4: Banana Slug.

Project 5: Dung Beetles.

Project 6: Naked Mole Rats.

Project 7: Gone Batty.

4. Weird Microbes: The Good, the Bad, the Smelly.

Project 1: Smelly Feet.

Project 2: Early Risers.

Project 3: Galdieria Sulphuraria.

5. Weird Weather: Ball Lightning, Rogue Waves, and Twisting Tornadoes.

Project 1: The Perfect Storm.

Project 2: Ball Lightning.

Project 3: Extreme Winds.

Project 4: Tornadoes.

6. Weird Earth: Geysers, Caves, and Other Strange Formations.

Project 1: Geysers.

Project 2: Weird Caves.

Project 3: Weird Rocks.

7. Weird Sights: Mirages, Northern Lights, and Illusions.

Project 1: Mirages.

Project 2: Aurora Borealis.

Project 3: Optical Illusions.

8. Weird Sounds: High and Low.

Project 1: Doggy Do.

Project 2: Aeolian Sounds.

Project 3: Playing Glasses.

Project 4: Things That Go Bump in the Night.

Project 5: Listen to Yourself.

9. Weird Physics: Fact or Fiction?

Project 1: Relativity and Time Travel.

Project 2: Worm Holes and Black Holes.

Project 3: Antimatter.

Glossary.

Index.