100's Day

What does 100 look like? Sound like? Feel like? In this video from Curious George, explore the many ways to measure 100 things.

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Acids and Bases: Cabbage Juice Indicator

In this video segment, the ZOOM cast demonstrates how to use cabbage juice to find out if a solution is an acid or a base.

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Acids and Bases: Making a Film Canister Rocket

In this video segment, ZOOM cast members mix different amounts of baking soda and vinegar to see which combination produces the most carbon dioxide for launching a film-canister rocket.

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Acids and Bases: Testing Rocket Cars

In this ZOOM video segment, cast members make bottle rocket cars using lemon juice and baking soda, and experiment with different ways of launching the cars.

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Acids and Bases: Testing Rockets

What happens when you mix baking soda and lemon juice? Watch the ZOOM cast launch a rocket using kitchen chemistry.

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Air Power: Experimenting with Balloons

In this video segment adapted from ZOOM, cast members experiment with the amount of air expelled first from a balloon, then through a straw attached to it, and see how both affect a balloon's behavior.

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Air Power: Making a Hovercraft

In this video segment adapted from ZOOM, cast members make their own hovercraft and demonstrate how the air leaking out of a balloon can make a plastic plate hover above a table.

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Atomic Arrangements in Solids

This video/animation asks the question "So if the same molecules are in the solid, liquid, and vapor forms of water, why are their properties so different?" The properties of a material are affected not just by the kinds of atom in it, but also by how they are arranged, and how free they are to move around. Forms of carbon are introduced, from graphite to buckyballs.

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Atomic Structure of an Alloy

Learn about the atomic structure of bronze, a copper alloy, in this video excerpt from NOVA: "Hunting the Elements."

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Atoms: The Space Between

This video segment adapted from A Science Odyssey takes a look at the scale of the atom and the tremendous amount of space between the electrons and the nucleus. If all this empty space exists in matter, how can any substance be solid?

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Balloon Brain: Designing a Helmet

In this video segment adapted from ZOOM, cast members are challenged to design protective headgear for a water balloon using what they know about the properties of the materials available.

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Bend, Twist and Break: Beyond the Laboratory

Dr. Chris Muhlstein explains that when scientists study fracture surfaces from controlled experiments to understand the resulting shapes and features, they can use their understanding to deduce what happened when they were not around to see the material fail or break. Further they can predict what will have to a larger or smaller piece of material under stress. This process is how scientists and engineers translate a lab experiment into a design for an airplane, bridge or even a bike frame.

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Bend, Twist and Break: Breaking Glass

Dr. Chris Muhlstein explains that researchers learn about the scientific basis for failure of materials by running experiments in the lab, using a simple shape like a glass rod to calculate the strength of material and predict its failure. The same tests can be done at the micro and nano scale using tiny specimens. Students can run a similar experiment with a bar of chocolate.

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Bend, Twist and Break: Fracture Surfaces

Dr. Chris Muhlstein explains that fracture surfaces can reveal how and why a material has failed. An image of a fracture surface has features or shapes that we can use to understand where a material failed and why. Scientists use an optical microscope or a scanning electron microscope to read a fracture surface at high magnifications, much like we read maps to find our way.

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Bend, Twist and Break: The Bridge

Dr. Chris Muhlstein explains that the arrangement of atoms in a material determines the properties. He drops an iPod to illustrate how the arrangement of atoms can protect it from damage; he narrates footage of the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge in the 1940s to show how the deformation of materials can cause the collapse of a structure.

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Blacker Than Black

In this video adapted from NASA, two members of a NASA research team working to produce carbon nanotubes share some background behind this new technology, show examples of how it will be useful, and explain the various tests being performed to ensure readiness for spaceflight.

A Boat That Floats

In this video from Curious George, children build boats out of everyday materials and then predict and observe whether the boats sink or float.

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Breathing Blue

In this demonstration of chemical change, the presenter blows breath into a methylene blue solution releasing carbon dioxide which acidifies the water and changes it from a bright blue color to green.

Capturing Carbon

In this video segment adapted from NOVA scienceNOW, a scientist, inspired by his daughter's science fair project, develops a synthetic "tree" to remove excess carbon dioxide from the air.

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Cheese: Not the Same Mold Story

In this video, Science Friday investigates the secret life of cheese.

The Chemistry of Makeup

In this video from DragonflyTV, join Jazi and Danielle as they experiment with different combinations of everyday ingredients in order to create and test batches of lip gloss.

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Columns: Experimenting with Balloons

Watch the ZOOM cast find out how many balloons filled with air and then with water are required to support the weight of a cast member.

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Cooking Cookies with Solar Power

In this video segment adapted from ZOOM, two solar cookers are tested against a control to see which can cook a "s'more" faster.

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Cosmic Origin Spectrograph

This video from NASA features the Cosmic Origin Spectrograph (COS), which allows scientists to use spectrographic analysis to assess the composition of intergalactic material.

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Counting Neutrons on the Moon

Find out how scientists are using a neutron detector onboard a satellite to try to find water on the Moon in this video adapted from NASA.

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Dark Energy

Dark energy makes up 70 percent of the universe. In this video from QUEST produced by KQED, meet one of the country's leading scientists who is trying to understand dark energy.

Defy Gravity! Balancing Balls on Air

In this video segment adapted from ZOOM, cast members use a hair dryer to balance a ball in a stream of air, seemingly defying gravity.

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Defy Gravity! Upside Down Ping Pong Ball

In this video segment, the ZOOM cast is challenged to keep a ping pong ball in a funnel while the funnel is held upside down, seemingly defying gravity.

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Density and Buoyancy: Experimenting with Club Soda

In this video segment adapted from ZOOM, the cast discovers that gas-filled bubbles act like life jackets for raisins, making them buoyant.

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Density and Buoyancy: Making Eggs Float

Why does an egg float in salt water? Learn about density and buoyancy in this video segment adapted from ZOOM.

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Density and Buoyancy: Mixing Hot and Cold Water

Watch warm water float on top of cold water in this video segment adapted from ZOOM.

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Density and Buoyancy: Pouring Air into Water

This video segment adapted from ZOOM offers a clever demonstration of buoyancy by showing how to pour a cup of air into a cup filled with water.

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Density and Buoyancy: Testing Liquids

Will a grape float in oil? Will a metal nut sink in corn syrup? Watch as the ZOOM cast tests the buoyancy of a variety of liquids and objects.

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Designing a Puff Mobile

The air you exhale can power a puff mobile. Watch as the ZOOM cast races their air-powered designs to see which design features are the most successful.

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Designing Balloon Cars

Can the air in a balloon power a car? Watch students from Weston, Massachusetts, demonstrate their balloon car designs in this video adapted from ZOOM.

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Detecting Life on Other Planets

In this video from NOVA scienceNOW, learn how scientists detect potential signs of life on distant planets.

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Developing the Periodic Table

This video excerpt from NOVA: "Hunting the Elements" looks at how early chemists developed the periodic table of elements.

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Do Materials Get Tired? Creep

This video explains that materials will deform slowly or “creep” under the right conditions, when constant force is applied. “Strain” is illustrated with rubber bands and we learn that engineers can calculate creep strain as a function of time.

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Do Materials Get Tired? Fatigue

This video explains how the strength of a material can be measured in the laboratory and used to design structures, like bikes, airplanes, and even chairs. We see a controlled lab experiment that applies precise force to a paperclip until it breaks.

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Do Materials Get Tired? Intro

This video explains matter is made up of atoms that dictate the properties of materials. Mechanical engineers measure the stress a material can take until it breaks. Their ultimate goal is to make a material that will repair itself.

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Don't Mess with Mercury

Learn about the dangers of mercury in this short video from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

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Dust-Proofing a Mars Rover

Enter the lab of NASA scientist Dr. Carlos Calle to see how systems are being developed to keep planetary rover solar panels dust-free, in this video from NASA EDGE.

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The Electromagnetic Spectrum: FRONTLINE

This video segment adapted from FRONTLINE introduces the electromagnetic spectrum and explains how the various types of electromagnetic waves are distinguished by the amount of energy each wave carries.

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The Electromagnetic Spectrum: NASA

From radio waves to gamma rays, this video segment from NASA introduces the seven categories of the electromagnetic spectrum and how each type of radiation is part of our everyday lives.

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Electrophoresis and Gel Analysis

In this animation produced by WGBH and Digizyme, Inc., see how molecules of DNA are separated using gel electrophoresis, and how this process enables scientists to compare the molecular variations of two or more DNA samples.

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The Elements: Forged in Stars

The story of how elements from lithium to uranium are created by stars is illustrated through animation and a hands-on periodic table in this video segment adapted from NOVA.

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Everyday Radiation

How much radiation are we exposed to every day? Find out in this video segment adapted from FRONTLINE.

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Experimenting with a Glass Xylophone

In this video segment adapted from ZOOM, the cast investigates how the pitch of sound changes when they strike a variety of glasses filled with different amounts and types of liquids.

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Exploring Windmill Design

In this video segment adapted from ZOOM, cast members are challenged to design a windmill that can be powered by a hair dryer.

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Finding the Dew Point

In this video from Cyberchase, the CyberSquad learns to keep track of both air temperature and humidity so they can predict when fog will appear.

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