The church has set up a wonderful-hands on room with stations for
chemistry, earth science, physical science, electronics, biology,
ecology. All classes cycle into the room and are free to visit each
station to do small experiments. The curriculum includes stories of
major scientists who were also Christians.
David, if you are listening, tell me about instant ice cream using liquid
N2.
The first night I inflated a paper mache hot air balloon (worked pretty
well, but they're a bear to make) with hair dryers, and demonstrated an
"air gun" - a cardboard box with a hole on one side, when you forcefully
compress the lid, it shoots a traveling air wave, probably something like
a soloton (sp), that knocks down a house of cards, extinguishes a candle
and musses hair at 10 feet. The time delay between the "shot" and the
effect is dramatic. I couldn't get enough smoke into it to amke it
visible.
The application is both Biblical principles of (1) God ordaining the
invisible things to confound the mighty and (2) the work of the HS being
like the wind - its effects are visible, but see don't see it coming.
I also decided not to portray the scientist as the "mad" or silly
creature that usually is done. Although its funny, I find it somewhat
disheartening to denigrate the really interesting and respectable persons
I have known in science. Rather, I used all my protective gear from the
lab and a rather silly name (Prof. Aristotle Head, but you can call me
"Air").
Tonight will be the "monkey gun" and a bowling ball pendulum (I think).
Al