Staff photo by EMILY BARNES
John Sullens reacts as the hair dryer held by fifth-grader Luda Theriault, 10, allows a pingpong ball to hover in the air Wednesday during his Mad Science show at St. Peter's School in Waldorf.
Students at St. Peter’s School are mad about science.
As part of Catholic Schools Week, students at the Waldorf school were treated to a performance Wednesday by Mad Science presenter John Sullens.
Sullens used fire and ice to teach students about different scientists and scientific experiments, all under the guise of fun.
“If you can make learning fun, that’s golden, that’s the ticket,” St. Peter’s Principal J.R. West said.
The presentation taught students about creating vacuums, sublimation and more.
Wayne Lutz, 12, said he liked when the “mad scientist” took a special chemical-soaked paper, lit it on fire and it simply turned into a ball of fire and disappeared in midair due to the special treatment.
“With no ash or smoke, there is no pollution,” Wayne said.
Jeremy Butler, 11, said he also liked when the scientist set the paper on fire. When he placed the flaming paper on a tray and covered it up, “he fooled everybody.”
Jeremy said students thought the paper was still on fire, but soon learned that because it had no oxygen, the fire went out.
Sullen, the mad scientist, also demonstrated the scientific magic of dry ice by creating dry ice bubbles using everyday soap and the ice.
Calling it a “bubble shower,” Sullens dropped large dry ice and soap bubbles on students’ heads.
“When the bubble falls on my head, I’m going to laugh,” said Felix Montinola, 5, watching other students get dry ice soap bubbles placed on their heads.
West said the presentation was a treat for students but also a preview of a Mad Science camp the school will host in the summer.
It will consist of sessions on rocketry, crime scene investigation and robots.
Students on Wednesday could hardly stay in their seats during the 45-minute presentation.
West said the summer programs should be just as exciting.
gphillips@somdnews.com