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Oh, man, does THAT ever call for a "don't-try-this-at-home" sign!  :-)
Beryl

On Oct 12, 2006, at 1:44 PM, Tim Pula wrote:

> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology  
> Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related  
> institutions.
> ********************************************************************** 
> *******
>
> If you have a lot of space and do not mind exploding things there  
> is always
> the self carving pumpkin experiment. I found it in an NSTA Night of
> Chemistry guide. We did this last year at our Halloween Bug Bash  
> last year.
>
> All you need is a 1 Pumpkin, 1-2 rocks of calcium carbide, 2 nails,  
> 1 half
> inch deep metal or plastic lid, water, 1 barbeque igniter and some  
> wires.
> (BE VERY CAREFUL. THIS EXPERIMENT PRODUCES ACETYLENE GAS).
>
> Carve a pumpkin. Keep all of the pieces that were carved out. Cut the
> removed pieces thin, about 1/4 inch or so. Also cut pumpkin lid  
> thin. Place
> all of the, now thin, pieces back into the holes in the pumpkin.  
> Drive 2
> long nails, at about 45 degree angles, into the back side of the  
> pumpkin so
> that they meet in on the inside. Move the tips of these nails just  
> slightly
> apart, about 1/8 inch. Dab some superglue on the nails where they  
> contact
> the pumpkin. This will help to keep them in during the explosion.
>
> Place the short metal of plastic lid in the bottom of the pumpkin.  
> Attach
> wires from the barbeque igniter to the nails, one to each nail.  
> Click the
> igniter to be sure you get a spark at the tips of the nails inside the
> pumpkin. (We have made an igniter box, from a Radio Shack project  
> box, and
> put alligator clips on the end of our wires. It looks like a big red
> DESTRUCT button.) Fill the plastic or metal lid with water. Drop  
> 1-2 rocks
> of calcium carbide into the water. Put the lid on the pumpkin and  
> have the
> crowd count to 30. After 30 seconds click the igniter and KABOOM!! (BE
> CAREFUL!! THE PUMPKIN PIECES OFTEN FLY AS FAR AS 30 FEET.) Pieces  
> fly out of
> the pumpkin, the lid flies off and it looks like the pumpkin was  
> blown to
> bits. Remove the bubbling calcium carbide in water and lid. (USE  
> GLOVES,
> THIS MATERIAL IS CAUSTIC)
>
> Now parade the "carved" pumpkin around to the crowed. The face or  
> design
> carved in it wows the crowed almost as much as the KABOOM.
>
>
> Tim Pula
> Science Coordinator
> Gulf Coast Exploreum
> 65 Government St.
> Mobile, AL 36602
> 251-208-6858
>
> Join us each month for a new experience in the Ciba Lab.
>
> Visit the Exploreum this fall for:
> Football the Exhibit
> and this spring for:
> "A DAY IN POMPEII"
> Visit us on the web at www.exploreum.net for more details.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Informal Science Education Network
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Chad Johnson
> Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2006 8:43 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Fun with Food
>
> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology  
> Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
> institutions.
> ********************************************************************** 
> ******
> *
>
> I have just been asked to create a program called the "science of hors
> d'oeuvres" as a part of a fundraising evening.  Does anyone have  
> any really
> great food related demonstrations.  I am thinking that this will be  
> a spoof
> of a cooking show but each demo should only last a few minutes.
>
> Ideas I have already thought of:
>
> 1.  Exploding a marshmallow for s'mores
> 2.  Liquid Nitrogen ice cream
> 3.  Mentos fountain
> 4.  If I could ever get the exploding Jell-O pudding to work I  
> would do that
> too!
>
> Thanks in advance
>
> Chef Chad
>
> Director of Education
> The Edgerton Explorit Center
> http://www.edgerton.org
> 1.877.694.4032
>
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