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"Nitro Joe" Brings Science Experiments to Kids By Kristin Carringer, KOMU Channel 8 Columbia,
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COLUMBIA - An instructional entertainer taught kids about chemical and physical changes Thursday afternoon. Dressed in his white lab coat, Joseph "Nitro Joe" Higgs did several experiments that resulted in the kids shrieking in amazement. One chemical change experiment involved mixing water, dry ice and baby shampoo. "It made bubbles that weren't clear. It made bubbles that were white and who's ever heard of white bubbles before?" said Benjamin Henke, a third grader. The program became serious when Nitro Joe explained the dangers of dry ice. When he jokingly asked for a volunteer to freeze his nose, the kids pulled away in fear. But Nitro Joe ended up putting a quarter in the dry ice, freezing George Washington's nose instead! Another experiment demonstrated physical changes. He made a ping pong ball float using a hair dryer and then made a playground ball float with a leaf blower. The kids kept laughing even with the hair dryer and leaf blower were turned on them to demonstrate the difference of strength. "When you get a young mind that's open, fresh, ready and receptive to learning new things and new ideas, then it's easy when they sit down with a textbook and they go 'Oh yeah! I saw something like this!," said Nitro Joe. The program was part of Daniel Boone Regional Library's Summer Reading Program. |
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From the "Olney Daily Mail" June 18, 2009 Nitro Joe gives peek at science behind the magic By Kevin Ryden |
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Olney, Ill. - Have fun they did during Nitro Joe's show, which mixed entertainment and educational lessons. On his business card, Nitro Joe, who is from St. Louis, dubs himself as an "Edu-tainer." He began by explaining that he does not perform magic tricks, but shows the science behind tricks, such as paper going up in flames and then seemingly disappearing. However, the "paper" was actually something magicians call "flash paper," which emits light and heat but not smoke and ashes. Those four properties are present during a chemical change, he said. |
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Nitro Joe spoke in a booming, authoritative and sometimes silly voice to get his point across. He also used some cool props. Literally. The power of dry ice, which has a temperature of -109.3 degrees and can freeze fingers in 2 seconds, was shown. Nitro Joe asked the curious crowd who wanted their nose to be put on the ice. As he jokingly moved with the ice toward the audience, many of the children scooted back. Instead, he used a quarter, and said George Washington would use his nose. The quarter shook in the dry ice and it froze to its surface. Nitro Joe also discussed the effects of sublimation and carbonation and used a bottle of baby shampoo and carbon-dioxide gas to make bubbles. Children reached out their hands as he walked around the room, passing bubbles through a tube. "A bubble is nothing more than soap stretched around air," he said. He also demonstrated the power of air by blowing a leaf blower at children, who squealed and laughed for several minutes. "All of this is just old-fashioned, basic science," said Nitro Joe at the end of the hour-long program. "We're just looking at in a different way." Kevin Ryden can be reached at kryden@olneydailymail.com |
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Decatur-Macon County Fair - June 9-14, 2009
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This was my first county
fair, and I must say that it was an experience.
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It was a great experience for everyone who had an opportunity to experience the kind of fun science can engender. (Photo by Mike Patton) |
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A little slime on the nose
is something that few kids, like Hannah, will ever forget.
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From the "Collinsville Herald" Jan. 28, 2008
It’s not magic, it’s science!
| The students at Nelson Elementary School may have thought they were witnessing a magic show Tuesday, but Joseph “Nitro Joe” Higgs was actually performing science experiments. “The whole goal is for the kids to see that science is a lot of fun and these are eye-popping, interesting things that they can do,” Higgs said. “(Science) seems boring because there’s a lot of book work, but this is the end result. This is the ooh and aah factor. You always want the oohs and the aahs.” | Marissa Vickers photo Joseph “Nitro Joe” Higgs demonstrates science experiments at Nelson Elementary School. |
The entire presentation kept the children captivated, and they seemed to especially enjoy the experiment Higgs calls “water into juice.” He used three clear chemicals – sodium hydroxide, phenolphthalein and vinegar. Higgs said the phenolphthalein is a base indicator that turns purple in the presence of a base, which is the sodium hydroxide. After he mixes the two together he adds the vinegar, a strong acid that neutralizes the base, to make the liquid turn clear again. E-mail: mvickers@yourjournal.com |




