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    1. Kids at-home science experiments (of the less tame variety)

      Ask (recommendations)
      My 5-year-old loves doing “science experiments” at home with me and her older siblings, but it seems that the online lists of experiments we’re choosing from are truncated to leave off all but the...

      My 5-year-old loves doing “science experiments” at home with me and her older siblings, but it seems that the online lists of experiments we’re choosing from are truncated to leave off all but the least dangerous activities. This makes sense for a lot of low-parental-involvement contexts, but I’m going to be directing and deeply involved in these experiments. And I want fire. Smoke. Sparks. I want to make these experiments feel adventurous so the kids get really excited about whatever we’re learning. Baking soda and vinegar volcanoes and elephant toothpaste just don’t cut it.

      What experiments can you recommend using only relatively common household materials? Chemicals, candles, electricity, a stovetop, etc. (Assume that the experimenters will all be taking standard precautions, wearing PPE, and generally using the experiments as both an opportunity to learn about science and about the safety measures that go with science experimentation.)

      Or if you know of any websites listing these more spectacular home science experiments, please share those as well.

      Bonus if the experiments involve multiple possible outcomes that the kid can use pen and paper and elementary math to predict in advance.

      28 votes

    7. Square root of 0<x<2

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      bit of a dated post but something I am curious about. I watched Terence Howard's first appearance on Joe Rogan and found it mostly funny but something he pointed out did pique my interest. the...

      bit of a dated post but something I am curious about. I watched Terence Howard's first appearance on Joe Rogan and found it mostly funny but something he pointed out did pique my interest.

      the root of his issues with basic math seem to stem from a fundamental misunderstanding (or dislike?) of 2 things in particular:

      1. that any number multiplied by a fraction results in a smaller number (basically he struggles a lot with logic of fractional math) and
      2. the fact that for x where 0<x<2 , that x2 < x*2 when he is apparently under the notion that x2 should always be bigger than x*2 and to him, the fact that that isn't the case for 0<x<2 is evidence of some big mystery or conspiracy

      but it did make me wonder if there's a certain name or property given to the numbers where 0<x<2 to note the fact the fact that for those numbers, x2 < x*2?

      7 votes