Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Thermal Conduction - Episode 19

Ever boil water in a paper cup? The power of fire and flames is harnessed to explain how heat can move around in:

Science Theater Episode 19: Thermal Conduction

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Buoyancy - Episode 18

Why do you feel "lighter" when you are floating around in a tub of water? What does that have to do with bringing home balloons in your car? Find out the answers in:

Science Theater Episode 18: Buoyancy

Monday, November 13, 2006

Can't see the videos?

If you are having problems viewing the videos, be sure to have the newest version of Quicktime installed. The videos are all in the MPEG4 format, which should be viewable with the freely available Quicktime player.

Thanks for watching!

Thursday, November 02, 2006

The Bernoulli Effect - Episode 17

Want the fastest way to redecorate a tree using toilet paper? Use Science! Specifically, use the Bernoulli Effect - one of the principles involved in helping airplanes fly!

Science Theater Episode 17: The Bernoulli Effect

Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Circular Motion - Episode 16

What do merry-go-rounds have to do with artificial gravity? Lean about the science of spinning when Dr. Carlson talks about circular motion and the centripetal force.



Science Theater Episode 16: Circular Motion

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Fun with a Vacuum - Episode 15

If you have an empty jar, is it really empty? Take all the air out of it and you have a vacuum. When the pressure drops due to a vacuum, everything begins to behave in strange ways. Watch and see!

Science Theater Episode 15: Fun with a Vacuum

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Inertia, Newton's First Law - Episode 14

If you want to move it, you have to push it! Things don't change their movement on their own, and scientists often call this the Law of Inertia. Watch as Dr. Carlson shows off an amazing series of demonstrations where things don't move!

Science Theater Episode 14: Inertia - Newton's 1st Law

Wednesday, August 30, 2006

The Return of Density - Episode 13

Some things float in water and others sink, but can the same thing both float and sink? Better yet, Dr. Carlson demonstrates water that sinks in water.

Science Theater Episode 13: Density Changes

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Density - Episode 12

Long-time viewers realize that Dr. Carlson is dense. In this episode, dignity is again laid on the line as we find out exactly how dense is... Dr. Carlson.

Science Theater Episode 12: Density

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Thermodynamics and Temperature - Episode 11

Is nothing as thrilling as watching ice melt? Why do metals feel cold, while wood feels warm to the touch? All this and more in...

Science Theater Episode 11: Thermodynamics and Temperature

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Welcome to 2006 AAPT visitors

I recently travelled to Syracuse, NY to present a short paper on podcasting science content at the AAPT (American Association of Physics Teachers).

For those who attended my talk (and any other curious folks), you may download the powerpoint file, which contains all the links necessary to set up your own (free) podcast...

Thanks for visiting, feel free to browse past videos or subscribe (to the RSS feed through iTunes or some other reader) to be alterted to future ones!

-Dr. Matt J. Carlson

Here is the powerpoint of my talk: 2006_AAPT_Podcasting_Summary.ppt

Saturday, July 22, 2006

Concentration and Reaction Rates - Episode 10

Making Elephant Toothpaste is as simple as mixing two chemicals - causing an explosion of foamy science goodness. We take a look at two reactions with hydrogen peroxide to see how the concentration of H2O2 affects the rate of the reaction.

Science Theater Episode 10: Chemical Reaction Rates

Friday, July 07, 2006

Newton's Third Law - Episode 9

How can a rocket engine lift itself off the ground? Push a wall and you will be pushed back. Newton's Third Law of Motion states that every force has an equal force applied in the opposite direction. If air, trapped in a fire extinguisher, is "thrown" backwards by releasing it, Dr. Carlson can be pushed forward by the blast - his very own jet-car!

Science Theater Episode 9: Equal and Opposite Force

Saturday, May 27, 2006

Special Edition - Orange Crush Chemistry

Who doesn't like a student pep rally? See the amazing blue colors turn orange! Marvel at the amazing orange colors turning blue! In this film, recently recovered from the archive, we see how science can have just as much orange and blue school spirit as the next subject!

Science Theater Special Edition: Orange Crush Spirit Chemistry

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Packing Peanuts - Episode 8

The mystery of styrofoam packing peanuts is revealed in this shocking episode demonstrating.... hmm, well it demonstrates cool stuff. After all, if you can't dissolve packing peanuts when you feel like it, what's the point of science anyway?

Science Theater Episode 8: Packing Peanuts

Sunday, April 16, 2006

Free Fall - Episode 7

What does it feel like to float in outer space? How do satellites orbit the Earth? These mysteries, and more, are explained in this short video about gravity, orbits, and free fall.

Science Theater Episode 7: Free Fall

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Freezing by Boiling - Episode 6

It seems unnatural, but the laws of physics don't lie. Liquids require heat to boil, and if the conditions are right one liquid can be boiled in order to freeze a second. Under a vacuum, the water in an acetone/water mixure can freeze while the acetone boils.

Science Theater Episode 6: Freezing by Boiling

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Temperature - Episode 5

Hot stuff and cold science explain temperature and its affect on chemical reactions. Crowd-pleasing lightsticks make their return in this episode focusing on temperature.

Science Theater Episode 5: Temperature

Tuesday, January 31, 2006

Air Pressure - Episode 4

Can-crushing, balloon-inflating, juice-box-drinking action in this study of air pressure: how it happens, what it is, and why.

Science Theater Episode 4: Air Pressure

Saturday, January 14, 2006

Protein Folding - Episode 3

Eggs turn white when fried because their protiens are unfolded by the heat. Much of your body is made of large molecules called proteins that can perform chemical reactions. Proteins are like long strands of pearls that can fold up into balls in order to their job. Changes in the environment (like heat) can change whether proteins fold.

Science Theater Episode 3: Protein Folding



*As an aside, my PhD thesis research focused on this very topic.

Thursday, January 05, 2006

Photons of Light - Episode 2

LEDs and photosensitive paper show light be a particle in this demonstration explaining how light comes in little "packets" that we call photons. Colored LEDs make phosphorescent paper glow only if their color (frequency) of light is high enough in energy.

Science Theater Episode 002: Photons of Light