Childhood Geekdom

02/21/2003

The thrill of “magic with science” was a big part of my geek childhood. I was afraid that that experience had become passe, but I am pleased to see that even the jaded elementary school kids of today, inured to simple delights by overexposure to high-tech toys and even higher production values, can still be thrilled by some simple chemistry.

We had a “Harry Potter”-themed party for the kids, complete with a “potions class”. Just the usual suspects: some dry ice, sublimating nicely in a cauldron, a little fun with vinegar and baking soda foaming up and floating small objects. Nothing too advanced.

But it fired their imaginations. This was real, not some digitally-composited or airbrushed flight of fancy. It got their attention, and they wanted to know more. Why? How?

Learning, I’ve heard, is not a cup to be filled, but a fire to be ignited.