Hey, guys.
Thinking natural disasters.
When you think of natural disasters, there
are several that come to mind.
You have earthquakes, volcanoes, tornadoes,
hurricanes.
But, if I show you marshmallows, and I show
you toothpicks, and tell you that we’re
about to do an experiment that has to do with
natural disasters, you’re gonna be, like,
“Wait, what?
Marshmallows and toothpicks, and natural disasters?
But you.”
Yeah, we’re going to do that, and I have
a challenge for you.
This is your challenge: I need you to get
a bag of marshmallows, and you know what I
love about this, is if your marshmallows ever
get stale, the worst thing to do as a scientist
is to throw them out.
You can reuse anything, rather than making
it into garbage.
Now, you have a challenge, and your challenge
is this, can you create a multi-story structure,
a structure, I think, that people can build?
So, you have to make it multi-floored, which
means more than one or two, I would say.
And, here’s the kick, after you build it,
it has to be standing.
You’re not allowed to hold it up.
It has to be free-standing and stable.
Stable on the table.
Gravity should not be knocking it down.
Then, we’re going to simulate an earthquake.
So, after you’re done, and you've made this
really awesome structure, made out of only
marshmallows and toothpicks, we’re going
to shake the table, and we’re going to make
an earthquake.
And you can be, like, “Earthquake.”
Just tremble and vibrate.
And if your structure is still standing after
30 seconds of your simulated earthquake, you,
my dear, are an engineer.
And check this out.
Your structure’s actually gonna be three-dimensional,
and all you need are marshmallows, and all
we need are toothpicks.
It doesn't matter if they’re the pointy
type or the flat type, but, marshmallows are
actually cylinder shapes.
So, take a marshmallow, take a toothpick,
put it through.
You kinda have, it looks like you’re going
to be working out with it, but you’re not.
Now, think about how we can take this, and
turn it into a really awesome three-dimensional
shape.
I’m going to start with this square, and
then I’m going to build it up, and turn
this square into a cube.
Now I’m going to start going higher, just
like this.
And the beauty about this experiment is, a
bag of marshmallows is so inexpensive.
Toothpicks, pretty much anybody has toothpicks
at home.
And, I can learn so many amazing concepts
of engineering, building, gravity, center
of gravity.
You see, you really want this structure to
have this amazing centered gravity, so that,
If you really think about it, gravity’s
always trying to knock you down.
In fact, unfortunately, when we get a little
older, you start to lean forward, because
in your lifetime, your body has done nothing
but battle gravity.
Which is why our backs arch as we get older.
But, now look.
I just made a three-dimensional cube.
This is exactly one floor high.
But the challenge is, could you create multi
floors.
And, as you get it to go higher and higher,
it has to be stable.
Stable on the table.
You do not want it to be not balanced.
The rules are you’re not allowed to hold
it up.
This is a challenge.
And you’re only allowed to use toothpicks;
you’re not allowed to get Scotch tape.
Okay?
That’s the challenge.
And, as you can see already, mine is starting
to lean.
Gravity’s always pulling on it.
I’m only gonna make mine three toothpicks
high, just because I don’t need to make
it bigger.
That’s gonna be your challenge.
Then, I’m gonna simulate an earthquake,
and then, I’m gonna see if my structure
is still standing.
And, there are other things that you can do,
actually, to try to make your structure more
stable.
Questions like, ‛What happens if you added
toothpicks across the squares?’
Something like this.
Would this help?
Would this help?
Science is all about asking questions.
Test them, and see what happens.
That’s two toothpicks high, and now I’m
gonna go three toothpicks high.
And by the way, if you don’t have marshmallows,
you can actually use gumdrops.
My whole point of this is, you can build and
learn about structure and engineering and
earthquakes, using any materials that you
have at home.
Uh-oh, gravity.
Stop.
There we go, it does get a little harder as
you get higher.
You gotta realize that, and you guys are gonna
get frustrated.
Starts to look like the leaning Tower of Marshmallows.
And, I’m just going to put my toothpicks
across the top, and then I’m gonna shake
the table, and it’s earthquake time.
Will my structure still be standing?
Will it fall?
If it does fall, what could I do differently
to try to get it to stay up?
Science is all about asking amazing questions.
Right now, it’s standing, and I am about
to make an earthquake.
As I hit the table, the table’s gonna shake,
and let’s see what happens to my structure.
Still standing.
It’s stable on the table.
Marshmallows, toothpicks, your challenge,
make a multi-story building, make it taller,
shake the table, make an earthquake, and see
if it’s able to still be standing.
I did it, can you?
