By Bethany Bray
Staff Writer
April 24, 2008 05:00 am What makes a physics lesson more cool than getting a ride on a Hovercraft? Boxford youngsters had plenty of fun... and learned a few things on April 11 at the Boxford PTO's Second annual Science Night, when local parents with science backgrounds gave science lessons. One of the most popular stops on Science Night was the Spofford Pond School gym, where Ben Messenger, a Boxford dad and software engineer, was giving rides on a Hovercraft he had built. Kids waited in line to have a ride — all in the name of learning about physics, of course — on the craft, built of plywood and a leafblower, which zipped around the floor. "I think it was pretty cool," said 9-year old Liam Whelan, alighting from the Hovercraft and rejoining his mom, Ann. "I was really excited." Boxford parents, from chemists to engineers, staffed stations throughout the school, each with an experiment. Each table also had a poster about a notable scientist, a photo and information about their life and work. Ann Whelan said this was the first time she'd brought her boys to science night, since her family is relatively new in town. Science is his "second favorite" subject in school, Liam said, but he was having a lot of fun at science night. Liam's older brother Patrick, 11, agreed the evening was "cool" and said he never knew you could power something — like a Hovercraft — by using air. Tom Mathers and Cindy Murphy ran a table set up with several microscopes for students to look through, allowing youngsters an up-close glimpse of cells of onion skin, salt crystals and other materials. Mathers, who works in toxicology at a biotech company, had brought several of the specimens in from work — including cartilage and mouse brains. "They definitely like the gross stuff," said Mathers with a laugh, and microscopes got the most use. Jim Ellis, a biotech researcher, ran a demonstration with liquid nitrogen. The youngsters were surprised when Ellis dipped a banana in to a container with white clouds of fog rolling out the top, filled with liquid nitrogen at 200 degrees below zero. Moments later, Ellis was able to hammer a nail in to a piece of wood with the frozen-solid banana. Beth Clay, a local mom studying anatomy and physiology, helped kids make slime at a chemistry station. Youngsters combined polyvinyl alcohol and borax solution, vigorously mixing cups of bright green, blue and red slime. "Enjoy your slime," Clay called as a group of kids moved on to the next station. Science Night began with a presentation by Mad Science, a New Hampshire-based educational company. Mad Science educators, each wearing a white lab coat, impressed the children with a hair dryer-powered "tornado" that blew a length of toilet paper off the roll, streaming it through the air in the cafeteria.
Special scientists Jim Ellis: chemistry, "Cool Science" with liquid nitrogen Beth Clay, Alex Constan and Herb Capron, polymer science, making slime Judy Capron and Deb Dzwil, chemistry with acids and bases, erupting volcanos and slideshow of Iceland Cindy Murphy and Tom Mathers, microbiology with microscopes Deb Bargman, electricity, make a firefly and UV light bracelet activity Peter Richards, chemistry, "Sugars in the Food We Eat" Peter Kaplan, crystallography, making crystals Maryellen Doucette, static electricity and magnet experiments Cora Wong, physics, center of gravity balancing clown activity for younger kids Lauren Capron, Erin Murphy and Emily Dzwil (Spofford students), salt and egg activity Ben Messenger, physics, rides on his home made Hovercraft Steve Warshafsky, aerodynamics, make and race paper airplanes
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Photos
Reese Gardner, 6, of Boxford, takes a ride on a leafblower-powered Hovercraft made by Mad Science educators who demonstrated various ways to have fun with science during the Boxford PTO Science Night at Spofford Pond School on Friday, April 11. Staff photo
Under the watchful eyes of Albert Einstien, Marcos Esperon, 8, learns the powers of static electricity during the Boxford PTO Science Night at Spofford Pond School. Staff photo
Molly Winship, 7, left, and Allia Langill, 8, hold slime they made out of alcohol and borax solution with instructor Alex Constan during the Boxford PTO Science Night. Staff photo
Henry Dolan, 7, tests for the center of gravity by balancing a wine cork, paper clip, and sticky tac on a stick during the Boxford PTO Science Night. Staff photo
Mitchell Shaheen, 10, left, Cameron Miller, 8, Sean Wages, 5, and Maddie Canelli, 8, watch as Jim Ellis freezes a banana in liquid nitrogen to use it to hammer a nail during the Boxford PTO Science Night. Staff photo