Mad Science

D R Y I C E celebrations! Experience our birthday parties now by visiting our website: https://bit.ly/3pfXXdT.

How many scents can a human nose detect? A recent study shows that it can detect more than one trillion scents! Your sense of smell is stimulated by millions of different chemicals, each of which activates receptors in the nose differently.

Our hands-on, interactive STEM programs are suitable for kids of all ages!

True or False? The Earth is closest to the Sun in December, in the Northern Hemisphere. True! Though it might seem counterintuitive, the Earth’s orbit typically brings it the closest to the Sun during the coldest period of the year. In winter, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun. This means that sunlight shines at an angle, and for less hours, during the northern winter days. Our cold weather comes from the decreased direct sunlight!

Did you know that large bodies of water moderate the climate around them? Water heats up and cools down slower than land does. This means that coastal regions have a smaller temperature range, where weather conditions between summer and winter are more moderate. Inland regions away from large bodies of water have a much larger temperature range.

Coral reefs are made up of living creatures called coral. They are critical in providing shelter and food for many animals in the ocean. Unfortunately, both ocean pollution and climate change have endangered the future of coral reefs around the world. Water connects us to our oceans. Here are some tips on how you can help save our coral reefs! Water conservation at home. Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth! Look but don’t touch! Never touch a coral reef in the ocean. Help spread the word on coral reefs and on keeping our water clean!

The Sun makes up 99.8% of all the mass in our solar system. Its diameter is approximately 109 times the diameter of the Earth. Can you guess how many Earth-sized planets it would take to fill the Sun’s volume?

Does eating chicken soup help you fight a cold? Yes, this seems to be the case! Some studies show that eating chicken soup containing carrots and onions helps thin nasal mucus (a little gross, we know) and has a mild anti-inflammatory effect. Eating chicken soup, or any soup for that matter, will help you stay hydrated, which is important when you are fighting a cold.

It’s the first 10 days of 2022! Have you stuck with your resolutions?

Wondering how to reduce your carbon footprint? Turn off your car if it is parked for more than TEN seconds, even in the cold winter months! Did you know for every 10 minutes of idling, one pound of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere?

We’re flashing back to our Mad Science Brixology Event that LEGO certified professional, Robin Sather, hosted! Check it out on our YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/wRA22f8QSWs

We’ve tested the #HotWaterChallenge and here’s what happened! Note: Do not try this at home. This should only be done by an adult in ideal conditions.

Happy New Year!

Let the countdown begin! 2022, we are ready!

Happy Valentine’s Day! We think you’re all STEM-tastic! Thanks for supporting us in our mission to spark imaginative learning!

Happy Lunar New Year Everyone! Teach your kids about emulsions and hydrophilic and hydrophobic substances by pouring vegetable oil into a mason jar filled with water. Watch as the two substance settle into two separate layers because they repel each other. As you pour the oil into the water it will look a bit like fireworks, which is a traditional way to celebrate Lunar New Year! You can also add a few drops of red food coloring to the oil, which will make it all the more festive!

Scientist Spotlight! Stella Bowles, Youth Environmentalist Her grade 6 science project, that tested the bacteria present in the river near her home, eventually convinced three levels of government to pledge $15.7 million to help clean it up. She became a citizen scientist, reached out for community support, and learned all about water testing in the process. http://bit.ly/3iW0uFy

Get ready for the Great Backyard Bird Count happening from February 12-15! Each year people from around the world come together to watch, learn about, count, and celebrate birds. It’s a great family activity that you can do right in your own backyard! Share your pictures and contribute to a bird database that is used by scientists around the world! Did you know that when the community at large and other amateur scientists conduct scientific research it’s called Citizen Science! Learn more: https://www.birdcount.org/

Ants aren’t always welcome, unless you’re a cardinal! Cardinals (and other bird species) routinely cover themselves in ants and scientists aren’t sure why! One theory surmises that the ants’ formic acid helps rid them of lice and other parasites. #NationalBirdDay #WeirdHabits #BirdExtreme Let us know in the comments why you think Cardinals do this!

Today is Send a Card to a Friend Day! What a great way to show them you care about them! In the age of emails and digital communication, it’s always fun to get something thoughtful in the mail! Tell us what the front of yours says in the comments! We’d be over the moon if you shared your science pun ideas!

Exciting Ski-week/Presidents' week/Intersession camp - Feb 16 thru 19. Limited seats! Hurry! Early-bird discount ends in 4 days! Register at thebayarea.madscience.org.

Bananas are healthy snacks packed with nutrients like potassium, fiber, calcium, manganese, magnesium and iron! However, don’t eat more than 10,000,000 bananas at once. Or 274 per day for seven years. That many would be a problem, because these yellow fruits are actually (a tiny bit) radioactive.

In this experiment, kids learn about ‘freezing point depression’. Watch how sprinkling salt on the ice slowly melts it and creates tiny tunnels. Try using different kinds of salt, such as kosher salt or rock salt. What happens when you dump the salt onto the ice instead of simply sprinkling it? Can you create patterns with the salt?

Merry Christmas from everyone at Mad Science. We hope you have a fantastic holiday season!

Only one type of mammal has wings: bats. While other furry animals like flying squirrels and possums can glide through the air, bats are the only mammals capable of powered flight!

Not only are bats the only mammals that can fly, but some species can reach speeds of up to 100mph (160km/h), which also makes them the fastest mammals on the planet.

Never be afraid to ask questions!

Did you know that pumpkins are one of those culinary vegetables that are actually scientifically a fruit? They are classified as a fruit because they contain seeds.

Kids learn all about the center of gravity and balance in our Balancing Act experiment!

Did you know that Mars has the largest volcano of any planet in the entire solar system? It’s true! The mountain is called Olympus Mons and it stands 25km tall and is over 600km in diameter.

The Earth is not a perfect sphere! It’s actually more of a squashed sphere, called an oblate spheroid. This is because several forces, including gravity, cause the planet to bulge at the equator. #EarthScienceWeek

True! Dinosaur fossils have been found on every continent, including Antarctica.

Happy Thanksgiving to all the Canadians!

When you blush, your stomach lining blushes too! When you’re embarrassed, your body releases adrenaline as part of the fight or flight response. This causes your blood vessels to dilate, which causes your cheeks to redden, and your stomach lining too.

A great week for women in science! Congratulations to Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna, who were awarded the Noble Prize in Chemistry 2020 on Wednesday for their work on CRISPR-Cas9, a high precision method for editing DNA.

Studies have shown that the human body restores cells at such a rate that 98% of the atoms are replaced annually!

Our cool Water Arrow experiment teaches kids about refraction! Try this one at home this week!

Thank you to all the teachers out there who continue to teach our kids during this most difficult and different time. Keep doing what you do, in-person, virtually or however you’re doing it this fall! #WorldTeacher Day

Did you know that there are more than two types of twins?! Most people have heard of identical and fraternal twins but there are also mirror image, half-identical, mixed chromosome, superfecundation, and superfetation twins. Look them up to see what they all mean!