You know you work in a science museum when...

[msjen]

Today I learned that if you pulverize Total cereal and mix it with water to form a (rather nasty-looking) goo, and put this goo in a plastic bag, you can then extract the iron in the cereal with a magnet. It forms a visible pile of iron bits

Comments

[jetspeaks]

That's much happier than the experiment that shows the presence of amylases in your saliva turns white bread into sugar in your mouth.

[ultraminx]

I still have horrible memories of this experiment from junior high school...had to opt out and *still* couldn't keep from gagging when watching the other students do this.

Ugh. Just revolting.

[msjen]

Don't worry - because of food allergies and safety concerns, they probably don't do this experiment anymore.

[jetspeaks]

At least they're using their powers for good - sometimes. And then there's the old "test your ABO blood type and your parents', and work out the genetics involved" - can't do blood work at schools and can't single out kids who don't have the "right" parents...

[msjen]

That's why we use pictures of fruit flies in our genetics unit.

[jetspeaks]

I hate fruit flies. :/
That's why I grow fungus. So much simpler, especially when it comes to genetics.
(there's a great programme of fungus experiments from a woman in our community if you want to move away from evil, evil fruit flies... ;)

[msjen]

I work with several people who hate fruit flies. Is it because they're gross or is there some science thing I am missing?

The kids just work with pictures of fruit flies and then draw possible baby fruit flies (well, "offspring" is the official term we're supposed to use), so it's not that bad.

[jetspeaks]

Well, the media you grow the larvae on stinks, that might be part of it. My personal distaste relates to my worm phobia (worms, larvae, but not snakes). Also, they're frequently used for demonstrating chromosome spreads - you have to dissect live larvae under a dissecting scope, which is horrifying. Or maybe that's just me.