toriaweber's Blog

If you walked up to me and asked, "Hey, did you hear Don Herbert died?"  I would reply, "No, who is Don Herbert?" 

I don't remember anyone by the name of Don Herbert, but I definitely remember his alter ego "Mr. Wizard." 

Mr. Wizard was staple TV for a kid in the 80's.  He was like a really cool Grandpa who actually had interesting stories and didn’t make you pull his finger.  He taught experiments that amazed you, and sometimes got you in trouble when you tried to recreate them in your bedroom.

But, I learned something new this morning; he left his mark years before I found him.  He was also on TV in the 50's and 60's.   What an amazing legacy--adults from mid-twenties to mid-fifties shared time with Mr. Wizard.

For me, two experiments stick out in my memory.  The first one I did often as a kid, and the second one I ALWAYS wanted to try but never got the chance.

It was just another after-school afternoon.  I sat in front of the TV wearing my pastel prints and jelly shoes.

Mr. Wizard asked, "Do you know you can jump through a piece of paper?"

"What? No way!"  I thought, "I am way too big to fit through a piece of paper!"

But, I was wrong.

He folded a piece of paper in half and cut lines in it.  When he unfolded it—it made a huge loop!  A kid who was cooler than me and got to be on TV, jumped through Mr. Wizard's experiment—WOW!

The experiment I never got to try, involved water and sulfur.   Mr. Wizard filled a fish tank with water and put a few items at the bottom of it.  He then sprinkled a thick layer of sulfur on the surface of the water.  Again, a kid who was cooler than me and got to be on TV, put his hand into the tank, through the sulfur, and into the water.  He picked up one of the items and pulled it out of the water. 

His hand was dry!  It was covered with a thin layer of sulfur. 

I always wanted to do that experiment, but I didn't know how to get my hands on sulfur.   Kevin said if I still want to try it, he will buy me some sulfur.  I didn't realize you could just buy it.  I thought it was a super cool thing only Mr. Wizard had access to.

Today, to honor Mr. Wizard, make your favorite experiment.  Whether it's a potato battery or a baking soda volcano—do it!  You owe it to the kid who still lives inside you, and you owe it to Mr. Wizard. 

I need a piece of scrap paper.