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Extras

Learn more about your science experiments! Watch how-to videos, print material lists, and read extra tips.

Forensic Science

Did you know? Czech scientist Jan Evangelista Purkynje is credited with the first system of classifying fingerprints in the 1800s. He identified 9 fingerprint patterns!

Caves & Crystals

Did you know? In the U.S. and Canada, caving is also known as spelunking. In Ireland and the U.K, it’s commonly known as potholing

Stars & Planets

Did you know? There are 24 hours in one day on Earth, but only 9 hours and 55 minutes in one of Jupiter’s! Jupiter rotates at a much faster speed (28,273 miles/hour) compared to Earth (1,037 miles/hour).

Hydrology

Did you know? Liquid water cannot form on the Moon, but NASA’s radars discovered deposits of ice, called lunar ice, in the craters of the Moon’s poles.

Vision & Optics

Did you know? A newborn baby’s eyes cannot produce tears or see colors. When they cry, they make noises, but tears don’t form until they are 4 to 13 weeks old. Around 5 months of age, they begin to see colors!

Aerodynamics

Did you know? Hundreds of years ago, rockets were used to make fireworks for celebrations in China.

Solar Energy

Did you know? The Sun generates most of the heat on Earth. Without it, the Earth would reach -400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Elevators & Trams

Did you know? Listening to music in elevators became popular in the 1920s because first-time passengers were frightened to ride in the machine.

Bones

Did you know? The thighbone, or femur, is the longest bone in the body. The stapes in the middle ear is the shortest, measuring just around a tenth of an inch.

Buoyancy

Did you know? Cans of diet soda often float, while their regular soda counterparts sink. The higher sugar content of regular soda makes it denser than water, causing the can to sink.

Acrobatics & Balance

Did you know? “Acrobatics” comes from the Greek word “akrobatos” (“to go to the highest point”), but the practice of this performing art dates back over 2,500 years, originating in ancient China.

Sound

Did you know? In the caves of southwest Germany, archaeologists uncovered flutes (made of either mammoth ivory or bird bone) that are over 40,000 years old. The flute is one of the oldest known instruments in history.

Electric Lab

Did you know? Birds don’t get shocked resting on power lines as long as they only clutch one wire at a time.

Gooey, Sticky Stuff

Did you know? Oobleck, the non-Newtonian substance made of cornstarch and water, was named after the sticky green substance found in the famous Dr. Seuss book, Bartholomew and the Oobleck.

Pressure Power

Did you know? New York City has been using pneumatic technology for over a century. Today, the city uses a pneumatic system to bring trash to landfills. This system whisks the trash away at 60 mph!

Catapults

Did you know? Today, catapults are used to propel aircraft into the air in areas where there is not enough runway space for the planes to take off from the ground.

Heart & Lungs

Did you know? The sound of your heart beating comes from its valves opening and closing as blood pumps in and out.

Pinball Party

Did you know? Electromagnetic tubes, called solenoids, control most of the moving pieces of a pinball machine.

Kaleidoscope Science

Did you know? The world’s largest kaleidoscope, Kaatskill Kaleidoscope, is taller than a house! To “use” it, visitors go inside and lay on the floor of the base. The kaleidoscopic images are seen dancing on the ceiling.

Roller Coaster Physics

Did you know? Roller coaster loops are designed so well that if someone rode without the safety harness, they would not fall out! Their inertia (tendency to stay in motion) would keep them pressed against the seat.

Bubble Science

Did you know? Bubbles can float higher in cold air. The warm air from your breath is lighter than the cold air surrounding the bubble.

Sports Science

Did you know? The world’s oldest surviving soccer ball was found hidden in the walls of a Scottish castle. Made around 1540, it’s made of gray leather and may have belonged to Mary, Queen of Scots.

Color Lab

Did you know? Before a chemical version was invented in the 1800s, purple dyes could only be made from a sea snail that lived in the Mediterranean Sea. The dye was so rare and expensive only kings and queens could afford to wear the color purple.

Architecture

Did you know? From 1912 to 1948, architecture competitions were part of the Olympics. Gold, silver, and bronze medals were awarded for the best architectural designs inspired by sports.