We've discovered Bill Nye at my home recently; this video on chemical reactions (23 minutes long, I note) is eminently watchable and frequently requested. He and his team of kids manage to teach a bunch of simple facts, including that:
- Everything is made of chemicals.
- Chemicals react to create new chemicals.
- Some of the reactions are energetic, some of them are not.
The PPE requirements are interesting (I note that "Candace the Science Gal"* goes into Bill's lab, stands in front of the flame and then puts on her eyewear). All in all, a classic of chemical education.
I wonder if people think that there are too many explosions in this video? I thought there were just enough.
*Candace Cameron of "Full House" fame, no less!
It's a real shame that we don't really have an equivalent show to Bill Nye (or Beakman's World) these days. Square One, Reading Rainbow, 3-2-1 contact. These were some quality shows that didn't treat kids like idiots the way modern shows like Sid the Science Kid do. Mr. Wizard would not have tolerated such foolishness.
ReplyDeletehey, I am a chemist. Can I also play one on TV?
ReplyDeleteWhy not get out there and do it in real life? We've seen what happens when people who aren't chemists try to do live demos.
Deletecame across this article: Yes, teach STEM in a foreign language (Chinese, Arabic, Spanish)! http://www.ed.gov/edblogs/progress/2014/01/maryland-pairs-world-languages-with-stem-to-increase-21st-century-skills/
ReplyDeleteBecause future STEM jobs will be in China anyways...problem solved.