Welcome To The World Of Tomorrow! Larry's Sciencing Away At Rutgers

WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU AND RUTGERS....DON'T YOU KNOW THAT HELIUM CAN CAUSE BREATHING LOSS AND CARDIAC ARREST//// IT SAYS IT RIGHT ON THE TANK
I AM A BALLON DECORATOR AND HAD A CUSTOMERS SON GO INTO CARDIAC ARREST AT HIS BAR MITZVAH FROM BREATHING IN HELIUM FROM A BALLOON.
YOU ARE NUTS AND SO IS THE TEACHER.!!!GOD HELP YOU.

People like the person above who posted his rant are a great example of why we're in a science education problem in the first place. The demo I saw today is an experiment I've seen done at the Franklin Institute, the Exploratorium in San Francisco and the Boston Museum of Science. If you do a little research, you'll see that it's a great way to teach about the properties of gases and sound. As a high school chemistry teacher, I applaud 4-H and Rutgers (and CW11 for that matter) for highlighting science.

Here's what I found online about the gas:
http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/from-donald-duck-to-barry-white-how-gases-change-your-voice

Hey Balloon Decorator - You need to understand the difference. The people doing the experiments with the gas today were trained professionals unlike the out-of-control, unsupervised kids running around at the Bar Mitzvah. Kids drown in water. Should we stop using that too?

WOW! Thank you for the fun science this morning. I just watched Steve Spangler on Ellen yesterday. I wish my science teachers in school were more like him! We will be looking for the 4-H experiment next week in our local 4-H club.

Who new 4-H taught science? That's great news! What a fun segment. 4-H National Youth Science Day sounds like a blast and a very cool way to get kids excited about science. Our country is definitely lacking in engineers and scientists so I'm happy to see youth orgs like 4-H spending resources to encourage kids to study science. Steve was great too! I'll have to look him up on YouTube.

Who new 4-H taught science? That's great news! What a fun segment. 4-H National Youth Science Day sounds like a blast and a very cool way to get kids excited about science. Our country is definitely lacking in engineers and scientists so I'm happy to see youth orgs like 4-H spending resources to encourage kids to study science. Steve was great too! I'll have to look him up on YouTube.

I didn't see your segment this morning but I just read about it on a Mommy blog. Then I watched the video. It's hard to believe that people are as crazy as the "balloon decorator" on the first post. I agree with the chem teacher that these kinds of experiments get kids excited about science. Thumbs up to 4H for their dedication to kids and their advancement of learning.

Balloon decorator, I find it sad that you are not able to understand the difference between a very creative and intelligent teacher giving a carefully controlled and researched demonstration, and a little unsupervised kid running around with helium balloons.

My admiration for Steve Spangler grows larger with every passing day. If all teachers had his enthusiasm and creativity, our children would benefit greatly. Steve's support of 4-H is awesome, and his website gives teachers and parents all kinds of information and guidance about science experiments, most of which can be done with ingredients people usually have in their pantries. His Experiment of the Week sends a free experiment to my email every week, and they are all safe, interesting, educational, and tons of fun! Other online "science people" charge a fee for access to their experiments and information, but Steve Spangler gives it all away to families and teachers for free.

It's obvious, Balloon Decorator, that you have done no research whatsoever about Mr. Spangler and his philosophies on education. He's helped more kids - and adults, too! - become interested in science than any corporation standards could ever hope to! I check his blog every day, and I absolutely love it.

It's not just children who benefit from Steve Spangler's excellent demonstrations and experiments; we also use his videos and suggestions at the college level as well. "Experiment of the Week" is especially helpful, and I use it with my students as well as with my own children. Mr. Spangler's experiments are so versatile, they can be used and enjoyed and appreciated by all age groups.

I shared this article with my students this morning, and all agreed that Spangler Science "rocks." They all also agreed that "Balloon Decorator" is an "idiot." (Sorry; that's a direct quote.)

Did anybody notice the news reporter talking with the slow motion voice? That crap was freakin hilarious! And also the gas he breathed in wasn't helium it was something else. I'm going to be shopping for sulfer whatever it was for halloween! Awesome newspiece.