https://youtu.be/Crg-gVP8pBA

SCIFUN2002_Transcript.rtf

§[energetic instrumental music]§

[chemical zips]

[drumroll]

§[Science is Fun Band plays a regal fanfare]§
[cheers and applause]

[blasts fire extinguisher]

[fire extinguisher hisses]

[cheers and applause]

- Bassam Shakhashiri: Hello, everyone, and welcome to my lab. I'm so happy to see you on this very special anniversary program, the 50th annual Once Upon a Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakhashiri.
[cheers and applause]

Thank you! It's a very special event and I'm thankful to the Science Is Fun Band, under the direction of Professor Mike Leckrone. 
[cheers and applause]

I'm also thankful to PBS Wisconsin. We have had a partnership for five decades where they bring this program to people all around the state of Wisconsin, indeed, all over PBS stations around the country. 

So, thank you again for being part of this very special event where we will do science experiments. Together, we will explore and learn and think about what you experience. 

In my lab, we always obey the safety rules. You notice, already I have my goggles on and I have this fire extinguisher. It's not a toy. It's part of the safety procedures that we have. And I'm going to set it right here so you and I know where it is, just in case it's needed for something that might go out of control. We're not planning on anything going out of control. We just have it as part of the safety regulations. Safety is paramount in everything that we do. 

And in the experiments that we're doing today, we will be, you will be, along with me, looking for color changes, explosions, liquids that glow in the dark. You just be on the lookout! So, sit back and relax, and if you pay attention, you're going to learn quite a bit of science and you're going to be having, I hope, an enjoyable experience. So, are you ready to learn? 
[audience cheering]

- Yeah!

- Are you ready to have some fun? 
[applause]

All right. So now what we're going to do is an experiment. is with a series of beakers that have colorless liquids in them. And I'll bring this out here so everyone can see it well. I have one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight beakers in the front row. In the back row, I have the same number of beakers, but they are a bit smaller. And what I'm going to do is mix the contents of the beakers in the back row with the ones that are in the front row, and we'll see what happens. All right, here we go. Maybe you can help out, but we'll see. Let's see if anything happens first. You know nothing will happen unless we mix the chemicals together. So, what should I do?

- Audience: Mix them!

- Just stop talking and get on with the experiment, right? That's what I should do. All right, here we go. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. 
[audience oohs and ahs]

- Whoa! One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. Can we get some help from the band, too? 
[bass drum beats]

One, two, three… 
§[whimsical oscillating march]§ 
[Shakhashiri counts to drumbeat] …four, five, six, seven, eight, nine. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven. 
§[band plays woodblocks in a metronome-like tempo]§ 
One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, seven-and-a-half, eight. 
[laughter]

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. 
[audience applauding]

How was that? Did you like this experiment? 
[cheers and applause]

What we're going to do now is an experiment using carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a gas at room temperature, and I have-- We all know about carbon dioxide because you know about carbonated beverages. They have a lot of carbon dioxide gas compressed in the liquid. And we need to think about carbon dioxide in lots of different ways. 

But right now, I want you to think about carbon dioxide in the way that I have it here because I have it in the form of chunks of dry ice. Dry ice is solid carbon dioxide. I use my gloves to pick up those chunks because the temperature of carbon dioxide in the solid form is -78 degrees Celsius. It's really, really cold and I use the gloves to protect my hands from frostbite. Dry ice changes from being a solid to a gas directly, without melting. When a solid changes to a gas without melting, we call that sublimation. Can you say sub-li-ma-tion?

- Sublimation.

- Sublimation is happening right now, but we can't see it. How come we can't see it? We can't see it because carbon dioxide gas is colorless. It's invisible. It also has... 
[inhales through nose, sniffs]
No smell. It's odorless. And also, I tell you now, carbon dioxide gas is a greenhouse gas. And greenhouse gases have an effect on all of us. But let's do the experiment now with carbon dioxide. I ask you to focus your attention on what I have between my two hands. You see these cylindrical objects and you see that they are arranged in pairs. Pairs according to the substance that's inside them. So, this pair has what color?

- Blue!

- This one?

- Pink!

- This one?

- Purple.

- And, what's in there are liquids. How can we tell they're liquids, not gels? Because from experience we know what liquids do when we shake 'em up. And what I'm going to do now to help increase the visibility of the experiment I'm gonna put this white cover back here now. Can you see the colors better now?

- Yes!

- I'm glad to hear you say that. So, I'm going to reach for my bucket, and I'm gonna take more dry ice, and put the dry ice in the cylinders in a special way. And when I get done, you tell me what the special way is. Did I put the dry ice in every cylinder?

- Audience: No!

- I put the dry ice in every other cylinder. We leave one of the pairs for comparison purposes. Because a lot of things are happening right now and the brain can't keep up with all the information that we get. But you see bubbles? Those are carbon dioxide bubbles. Where are they coming from? They're coming from the sublimation of the dry ice. How come we don't see them here? Because carbon dioxide gas is mixing with gas. Over here, carbon dioxide gas is mixing with a liquid. 

We learn from this experiment lots of different things, including the fact that carbon dioxide gas does not dissolve very much in the water that I'm using here. In fact, if it were very soluble, we would not be able to see the bubbles. 

But a little bit of them, a little bit of carbon dioxide dissolves and causes these color changes, and with the acid/base indicators that we have used. And in all of these cases, the carbon dioxide makes the solutions more acidic. You've all heard of 'ocean acidification'? That's when our carbon dioxide gas, the greenhouse gas, interacts with water in the ocean, in the lakes, everywhere else, and lowers the pH. 

All right, so now I want to move over and do an experiment. And to do the next set of experiments, I need to clear this a little bit, and I need some chemicals from down here. But, oops, I see I'm missing one chemical. Is there someone in the lab that can help me bring out the chemical I'm missing? 
§["On, Wisconsin"]§ 

§[clapping along with song]§

- Audience: Whoo! 
[cheers and applause]

- Hello, Bucky, I'm very happy to see you here. Bucky, you are a very good student. Bucky is a very good student. Did you notice the eye protection he's wearing? He's wearing goggles, you notice that? And he also has a "Science is Fun button!" here. So, Bucky, are you ready to help with the experiment right here? So you brought the ingredient I was missing. What we have is three beakers in front of us. This one has a clear and colorless liquid, this one has a clear and blue liquid, this one has a clear and green liquid. So, why don't you take the ingredient that you brought in here and add some of it to the beaker that I'm pointing to right here, okay? You ready for this? All right. Whoa! 
[audience exclaiming]

Isn't that beautiful? Have you ever seen two clear and colorless liquids mixed together and producing such a beautiful yellow color before? 
[audience yelling]

Huh? You like this experiment?

- Yeah!

- All right, Bucky, they like your experiment. So, let's see what you can do next with this one? We have blue liquid in the front and a clear and colorless liquid in the back, and what you're gonna do is add, yes, yes. You have good technique, Bucky.  A little more, little more. And you succeeded in changing the blue color to green color. So, that's a very, very good way of doing an experiment. 
[cheers and applause]

Bucky, we have one more to go here. You ready for this one? 
[Bucky claps]

A clear and colorless liquid, and we have a green liquid, one shade of green in the front. So, add that, just add a little bit. Let's see what happens. Ooh, ooh! 
[audience oohing]

You get two colors. You have red floating on top of the green. So that's a very, very good mixing of different chemicals. Very colorful, Bucky, just like you are! But Bucky, I know that you are a studious... 
[awkward pause]
...student, 
[laughter]
and you do well, now, I know you do well. How long is it gonna take you to graduate?  What, let me see this. One, two, three, four? I have five. [audience laughing]

Well, we are different after all. But I'm so glad you're gonna graduate in four years. That's what everyone should try to do, graduate in four years, so that you move on with adventures that are meaningful in your life. And Bucky, in order to graduate, you have to do well on exams. I know final exams are coming up here. So, I know you have to go and study. So, thank you so much for coming by, Bucky, and doing all these wonderful experiments. 
[audience applauding]

 Thank you, Bucky. Thank you very much. 
§["On, Wisconsin"]§ 
§[audience claps along to "On, Wisconsin"]§  

[audience murmuring]

- Tin Man: Is this the right way?

- Dorothy: Well, I'm not sure.

- Where are we?

- Hmm, I think we should explore a bit more.

- Oh, look what's up ahead!

- Oh, I know where we are now!

- Where?

- Well, this is the lab of Professor Shakhashiri! 
§["If I Only Had a Brain"  from The Wizard of Oz]§

- Tin Man: There are many wonderful things here! § §

- Hello.

- Shakhashiri: Hi, Dorothy.

- This is my friend, Tin Man.

- Hello. Welcome back, Dorothy.

- I'm so glad to be back.

- I'm very happy to see you. You know, in my lab, we like to do experiments. Would you like to do some experiments?

- Well, of course. Oh, I think I see some things I'd like to use. Ooh, how about that one?

- All right.

- That cylinder, does that have water in it?

- Yes, that's water in the cylinder.

- All right. Well, first I need to wear my safety glasses.

- Ah, you remember. Obeying the safety rules. 

- Hmm. This is milk of magnesia, right?

- Yeah, that is milk of magnesia, yes. What are you gonna do with it?

- I'm gonna add it to the water. Ooh! I like that.

- Shakhashiri: Yeah.

- But, I like things that are more colorful. This says "universal indicator." I'm gonna add that, as well.

- Dorothy, you know a lot about chemistry.

- Well, you haven't seen anything yet. 
[Tin Man laughs]

This is vinegar, and when I add it, just watch what happens. 
[Dorothy and Tin Man "Ooh"]

- Tin Man: Wow, that sorta looks like a rainbow.

- Oh, it does. You know, that reminds me of one of my favorite songs. 
§["Over the Rainbow" by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg]§  
§ Somewhere over the rainbow § 
§ Way up high § 
§ There's a land that I've heard of § 
§ Once in a lullaby §  
§ Somewhere over the rainbow § 
§ Skies are blue § 
§ And the dreams that you dare to dream § 
§ Really do come true §  
§ Someday I'll wish upon a star § 
§ And wake up where § 
§ The clouds are far behind me §  
§ Where troubles melt like lemon drops § 
§ Away above the chimney tops § 
§ That's where you'll find me §  
§ Somewhere over the rainbow § 
§ Bluebirds fly § § Birds fly over the rainbow § 
§ Why, then, oh, why can't I §  
§ If happy little bluebirds fly§ 
§ Beyond the rainbow § 
§ Why, oh, why can't I § 
§[sustained vocalizing]§ 
[audience cheers and applauds]
[Dorothy giggles]

- Thank you, Dorothy. That was really, really beautiful.

- Thank you!

- Such great talent right here! 
[cheers and applause]

- Thank you. Aw, but the rainbow's gone now. Oh, let me see if I can bring it back. 
[vinegar glugs out of bottle]
Oh, there we go.

- Tin Man: Well, that's beautiful, Dorothy. You know, I think I could use some help with some chemicals, too.

- Shakhashiri: What do you need?

- Well, my arms are feeling a bit creaky and I could use some oil.

- You would like some oil?

- Yeah, but my can is empty.

- Oh, well, let's see if I can help you. Actually, I think I can help you. I have a lot of oil in here. But watch this experiment first.

- Okay.

- I have this glass container and a smaller glass container. I put it in here, and what I'm going to do is fill the small container with oil. So, are you ready for this?

- Yeah, I'm ready.

- Here we go. We pour it in like so.

- Mm-hmm.

- Like so, and now it's overflowing.

- But, that seems like a lot of oil.

- It is a lot of oil, yes, yes. And what else do you see?

- Tin Man: Well, the beaker, it's disappearing!

- Professor Shakhashiri: The beaker is disappearing? The beaker is still there.

- But where'd it go?

- I'll show you. I'll fish it out. It's right here. 
[Tin Man laughs in amazement]

So, you always have to think about what's going on, what is happening in the experiment. But you said you needed some oil.

- Sure do.

- So, I've got some oil for you here.  I hope this helps.

- It sure will, thank you. And you know what? I was also kind of in search of a heart.

- Dorothy: Oh, well, I think I can help you with that.

- You sure know a lot about working in a laboratory, Dorothy.

- Well, especially in such a well-equipped lab as this. Well, see that paper over there?

- Yeah, this one.

- Is that piece of paper like the one I saw you use before?

- Yes, it is.

- Well, watch as I spray this onto that paper. 
[spritz, spritz, spritz]

- Audience: Ooh!

- Tin Man: Well, it's a heart!

- It is, there you go.

- Thank you, Dorothy.

- Shakhashiri: How wonderful! You're happy now?

- Tin Man: Oh, I sure am.

- Well, would you like to do some more experiments?

- Oh, I would, but I think we need to get going.

- Shakhashiri: Aww.

- Thank you so much, and we will be back.

- Thank you for saying that, and that you for coming, Dorothy and Tin Man.

- Tin Man: Thank you.

- Have a safe journey.

- Dorothy: Thank you.

- Thanks, Professor.

- Thank you very much.

- Bye! 
§["The Wizard of Oz Score"  composed by Herbert Stothart]§ 
[cheers and applause]

And now, I move over here and try to do another experiment. This experiment is going to be done in a very special glass assembly. This is a glass spiral attached to a funnel on top. And what I'm going to do is mix different liquids with it, actually two different liquids. One is clear and colorless and the other one is clear and blue. And the way I will do this is first, I will take the stoppers off, and then, I will mix the liquids by pouring them down the funnel in the dark, please. So if we turn the lights down, there we go. 
[audience exclaiming]

§[warbling music]§ 
§[discordant descending scale]§  

This is the release of energy in the form of light. There's no heat involved here. This is still at room temperature. Let's have a quick look at this in slow motion. And then, you see the nice blue emission of this mixture spiraling down. 
§[warbling music]§  
Isn't that beautiful? 
[audience applauding]

Thank you, band, thank you for that. 
My next experiment will be done here, and I'm going to ask Professor Leckrone to join me.

- Mike Leckrone: Certainly.

- Are you willing?

- I'm happy to do it. 
[applause]

- Mike--

- But first, Professor.

- Yeah?

- Safety goggles.

- Safety, of course, safety. Put your safety goggles on. And I have this liquid here, and I'm gonna turn this liquid blue. So, what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna add it here, and I want the liquid to be blue.

- Mike Leckrone: Well, it's not blue now. 
[audience laughing]

- Well.

- Leckrone: It's not blue.

- Be patient. 
[audience laughing]

Let me try this one here. Does that help? Is it blue? 
[stir stick clinking]

I have to mix things together. Is it blue?

- I don't see any blue yet.

- No blue yet? Okay, well, I'll tell ya what. You know, I have a battery right here and I'm gonna put the battery in there.

- No, you shouldn't put a battery in there.

- Why not? In this day and age, you know, we use a lot of battery-operated things, right? 
[Mike Leckrone chuckles]

So, we're gonna put the battery in there. And, we're gonna mix. 
[clink, clink, clink]

[audience exclaims excitedly]

What do you say now, Mike?

- It's turned blue!

- It turned blue, the liquid is blue. So, this is a battery-operated chemical reaction. 
[everyone laughing]

But we should recover the battery.

- Mike: Yes, yes, let's get the battery out of that.

- We should recover the battery. So, let me do that by pouring this blue liquid into this beaker here. 
[audience responds tentatively]

- But it turned clear again.

- Well, you just be patient. The blue is there. It's hiding, you can't see it. 
[laughter]

- Mike: Get the battery, too.

- Oh, yeah, pick up the battery, I pick up the battery. Okay, yeah, it's there. What's your favorite color, Mike?

- Well, that's nice. The blue is nice, but I prefer red.

- You have anything red on you other than your very nice outfit?

- Mike: What do you think? 
[laughter]
I always carry a red handkerchief, wherever I go.

- Thank you. So, may I borrow it from you?

- Absolutely.

- Okay. So, the blue is there. It's hiding. I'm gonna show you. I take your red, yes? I'm gonna put it here.

- It looks clear to me. 
[Mike and audience gasp]

- Mike: It turned blue!

- There's the blue, yeah. But what's your favorite color?

- Well, I like red a whole lot better than I like blue.

- You like the red?

- Mike: I like red all the time.

- You like the red, okay, so let's see what we can do.  
[audience oohs]

- You're amazing, it turned red again. That's absolutely amazing!

- You like this experiment?

- Oh, science is crazy!

- Do you like this experiment? 
[cheers and applause]

- Audience: Yeah! 

- Bassam: But you know what? The blue is still there. I'll show you. I'll just take this cloth that you gave me, the red one.

- The red one?

- We'll keep it red. I'll rinse the blue out, right there. 
[liquid dripping, audience laughing]
Isn't science wonderful, Mike?

- It's absolutely wonderful. 
[audience applauding]

And I love, I still love the red handkerchief.

- Thank you so much, Mike, for helping with this experiment. Thank you, thank you so much. 
§["If You Want To Be a Badger"]§ 
§[audience claps along to song]§  

I wanna thank you for coming here, I wanna thank you for your support of our program, and I, of course, wanna thank everyone who has made it possible, and especially thanking you for the eruption of your enthusiasm. 
[audience oohs]
And the outburst of your affection. 
[audience ahs]
And thank you for all your support here 
[audience claps and cheers]
in this very special program.  Thank you all very much, thank you, thank you. 
§[slow, elegant version of "If You Want to Be a Badger"]§ 
§[sparkly piano music]§  

And all of us, each one of us, we all have awesome responsibilities. Not only to ourselves but to the future generation that we love so much to protect our planet and try to mitigate climate change. And there's my daughter and my granddaughter. Thank you, Violet, and thank you, Elizabeth. 
[cheers and applause]

§[band plays a jazzy tone]§  
§[song wraps up triumphantly]§ 
§["If You Want to Be a Badger"]§   
§["On, Wisconsin"]§