Yesterday morning we made a spectroscope — a device that breaks light down into a rainbow of component colors — from a cardboard box and an old DVD. Different light sources give you different rainbows; that’s one way they can tell what elements are present in a star. The plans came from Simon Quellen Field’s […]
Continue ReadingTwo things. First, this is the 1,000th post on GeekDad! Go GeekDads! Second: there is nothing more core to the GeekDad experience than science fairs. The ones we did when we were kids. The ones our kids do. "Helping" our kids with their science fair entries. And then, the horrifying consequences of not helping our […]
Continue ReadingBehold the entire video collection of Professor Julius Sumner Miller and his grand physics demonstrations. I never had the pleasure of seeing Professor Julius Sumner Miller do his stuff in my youth, but boy was I deprived. In a world left to the demonstrations by relative amateurs, Miller’s casual physics expertise would be a welcome […]
Continue ReadingOkay, folks, Thanksgiving is all but here, and in America, that means it’s time for the winter holiday decorations of your preference to come out of the attic and go up on and around the house. This year, though, I think Chez Little is going to geek up our usual holiday décor with a little […]
Continue ReadingI don’t know about you, but the first thing my boys and I turn to when we get a new copy of Make magazine is Howtoons. From marshmallow shooters to a turkey baster flute to a "rola bola", we’ve had a blast building the simple projects illustrated in this fun cartoon. Now I’m really excited […]
Continue ReadingAs long as we’re on the subject of quickie experiments duplicating the violence of nature, here is a variation on the old baking-soda-and-vinegar volcano. For this iteration you build a controlled feed. The results are dramatic and realistic and are sure to drive your geeklings wild. You’ll need: Sandbox with enough sand to make a […]
Continue ReadingIf you have a two-liter bottle and some water, you’ve got all you need to demonstrate to your kids the basics of a hurricane. This all thanks to The Naked Scientists…and you never even have to leave your home. Fill a two-liter bottle with water Dump the water out….what happens? It likely chugs and gurgles […]
Continue ReadingI just picked up a flyer for what looks like a great and geeky series of informal science lectures being put on this summer at Coffee Catz in Sebastopol, CA. The Science Buzz Cafe events are billed as a "place where, for the price of a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, people […]
Continue ReadingMy youngest geekling had a birthday the other weekend. We brought in the crew from Mad Science for an hour worth of science, fun, and hands-on experiments all delivered in kid-friendly language from “Dr. Ryan Reaction.” The hour was packed with science using liquid-absorbing powder (kinda like the stuff that makes diapers absorbant), a black-light […]
Continue ReadingWant to amaze your child during teeth brushing time? Ask him to watch his own eyes move in the mirror. He’ll be amazed that he can’t do it. I was also amazed when I first discovered this phenomenon. The explanation is simple; you can only see your own eyes when the light is reflected off […]
Continue ReadingMild pyromania is very natural in a geekchild’s psyche. I’m not talking incinerating ants with a magnifying glass or burning down abandoned buildings. Most kids don’t do Dahmer stuff like that. But lighting matches or playing with Dad’s Zippo is an urge most kids can’t resist. There is a lot to like about fire. It’s […]
Continue ReadingThere are lots of science experiment books out there, but most don’t have experiments that a young child can perform and appreciate. My almost five-year-old and I have been having a blast with Simple Science Fun, a book filled with a bunch of really basic yet interesting and instructive experiments. Whether you’re looking for a […]
Continue ReadingI just finished reviewing The Dangerous Book for Boys for Parent Hacks, and I’m thoroughly entranced by its premise and promise: that there exists an essential package of skills and knowledge each boy should master. In so doing, he unlocks the potential for a life of exploration and adventure. (Here’s a link to the full […]
Continue ReadingAs I’m typing this right now my two sons aged 6 and 5 are glued to the TV. We’re watching Myth Busters on the TiVo. The kids actually want to watch this right now more than play Star Wars II on the XBox 360 so you know its got to be good. In this particular […]
Continue ReadingFrom KidScientist.com, the no-nonsense science blog for kids Principal Investigator: CelesteResearch Assistant: Jeffrey Date: April 21, 2007 This weekend we decided to do another experiment with a science kit. This time we used a Snap Circuits Jr. electricity set to create a motorized fan. To our surprise, when we flipped the switch, the fan propeller […]
Continue ReadingCrystal Radios are an old standby of GeekDads. For the early mists of time Geekdads have been showing kids how to pull radio stations from thin air with the barest snips from the basement. Here are some very simple radios that you can have your kid make in a few hours. They seem too simple […]
Continue ReadingFrom Kid Scientist, the no-nonsense science blog for kidsPrincipal Investigator: Celeste McManusResearch Assistant: Jeffrey McManus Over the weekend we picked up a Ein-O Science Kit at a local game store. On Sunday we did one of the experiments in the box. The Ein-O kits are pretty neat; they have instructions on how to do the experiment […]
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