Weird Science

Here is a collection of weird chemistry facts.

Here are some fun, interesting and sometimes downright weird chemistry facts.

If you were a famous mad scientist, which mad scientist would you be? Take this fun multiple choice quiz to find out.

A mad scientist party is a fun and educational party theme, ideal for birthdays and Halloween. Get ideas for invitations, decorations, costumes, food and drink, cakes, mad scientist experiments and games, as well as party favors for guests to take home.

This is a list of funny, made-up scientific unit conversions.

Set money on fire and watch it burn out without damaging the bill. This is a nice magic trick, based on everyday chemistry.

Can a candle burn in the absence of gravity? Here's the answer to this frequently asked question about fire.

Is it true your hair can turn white from a bad scare or that your hair can turn gray overnight? Learn about your haircolor and get the answer to the question.

Have you ever wondered how smoke machines work or wanted to make your own smoke or fog? Here's your chance to find out how it works. There are separate sections for each type of non-toxic smoke generator, together with important safety tips.

Learn how to make blue or red ink that will disappear after exposure to air. Tips for restoring the color and an explanation of the acid-base chemistry of the reaction are also included.

Use this special periodic table to find out what elements are found in fireworks and how they are used. Just click on an element to learn more.

Chemistry behind Darwin's storm glass, with instructions for making your own.

Make a non-toxic fizzy Mad Scientist potion using ingredients from your kitchen. The potion looks evil, but it is safe enough to drink.

What is better than regular slime? Slime that glows in the dark, of course! This is an easy and fun project that is suitable for kids.

It's incredibly easy to make Jell-O or other gelatin glow under a black light. Here's what you do.

It's easy to make brilliant green fire. This cool chemistry project only takes two household chemicals.

Hawaii's Green Sand Beach is an unforgettable destination. Learn why the sand is green and how to get to the beach.

Do you think chemical weapons smell terrible? You might be surprised to learn many are odorless or smell pleasant.

Mood rings have a stone that is supposed to change color to show your emotions. Do they work? If so, do you know how? Here's your chance to find out.

Find out how pop rocks candy works and whether or not it's true your stomach will explode if you wash down pop rocks with soda.

Have you heard about the kitchen tip in which you rub your fingers across the blade of a stainless steel knife to remove odors from onions, garlic, and fish? You have now! Learn about the chemistry behind this interesting bit of cooking magic.

Have you ever wanted to color fire? Here are simple, nontechnical instructions for making your own colored flames. Add extra interest to your fireplace or campfire!

Have you ever wondered whether there really is such a chemical as a pool urine detector or pool urine indicator dye? Such a dye supposedly clouds the water or produces a color when someone urinates in a swimming pool. Does a urine indicator really exist?

Here's a collection of molecules that have strange or silly names. There are lots of molecules with weird names, so this list will grow and grow.

Is a burning reaction between a tattoo and magnetic resonance imaging (an MRI) based in fact or is it an urban legend? Here's the answer!

William Yerkes offers insight into red mercury, a material purportedly implicated in fusion-device research.

You can make a hard boiled egg bounce like a rubber ball and cause chicken bones to become soft and rubbery. All you need is a common kitchen ingredient.

Here's a formula or equation submitted by a reader. He says he's been carrying it around in his wallet for twenty years and that at least one man's death was linked to the content. Does the equation still have significance today? You be the judge.

Slime is easy and fun to make, plus it only requires glue, borax, and water. Here are step-by-step instructions for making classic slime, complete with photos.

Make your fingers smoke when you rub them together and glow in the dark. All you need is a matchbox and a way to burn the striker portion.

These are the top science movies of all time, as rated by your About Chemistry Guide. I'm pretty sure my list differs from conventional wisdom, so justifications for my film choices are provided.

Dead bodies are sometimes referred to as 'stiffs' for a reason! Learn what rigor mortis is and find out why it happens.

Is it a secret, wildly explosive compound used to make deuterium-tritium fusion bombs for use by terrorists? Maybe there's a more conventional explanation...

I've had some scorched coffee that I'm sure should have qualified for this award, but it turns out there's a real answer to this question of taste. Do you know what it is?

There are some man-made chemicals with a stench well beyond the gentle perfume of dirty gym socks and skunk spray. Do you know the names of these super-stinkers?

The most venomous insect isn't some rare, exotic rain forest creature. You may have them in your own yard. Can you name guess what it is?

Black lights emit ultraviolet radiation, giving certain materials an eerie glow. Which materials? You can do a little experimental research or you can check out this list!

Learn how to perform the white smoke chemistry demonstration, in which a cloud of ammonium chloride crystals are produced from reacting ammonia and hydrochloric acid.

Have you ever wondered why flamingos are pink or orange? You've probably heard it has something to do with what flamingos eat, but do you know what exactly it is that produces the color?

Do you think it's the chlorine in the swimming pool that turns blonde hair green? Guess again.

From the Universitetet i Bergen, Baerheim and Sandvik explore the effects of chemicals purported to stimulate leech attachment. Full title: 'Effect of ale, garlic, and soured cream on the appetite of leeches.'

This is the site to visit if you have a question about your pet stick insect (Phasmid), insect cages, or mantids. In addition to answering questions, Professor Phasmid offers care sheets that you can download and print.

How this works is you click on an element to see the comic book pages involving that element. Clickings on a list item will allow you to see a full comic book page.

This site is all about the science of really gross things. It's not for the weak-of-stomach, but it is quite interesting!

Paranormal Phenomena Guide Stephen Wagner discusses human invisibility, the Faile effect, and John Keely's floating mini-solar system.

Click on the name of a common, everyday product and learn about all sorts of alternative uses. Some of the uses would probably occur to you, but others are fairly strange.

Here's a recipe for summer fun, complete with video! I think I'll stick to the old-fashioned method, but if you are feeling adventurous, give it a try. Idea for flavor variations are provided.

Here are the scientific details for the Loch Ness Monster, affectionately named Nessie. It's not hard science, but it is pretty amusing, and there are factual tidbits everywhere.

Science Frontiers Online discusses chocolate and vanilla niobium clusters, quasicrystals, and nitrogen molecules that form five bonds. References are provided!

The idea is to put current across a pickle and cause it to glow. This site has explanations and graphics and a movie. Please be aware that some browsers experience runtime errors loading the page.

This is a collection of science and science fiction haiku poetry. Readers may submit a SciFaiku of their own. There are also links defining haiku and listing online haiku collections.

This virtual museum promotes worldwide tourist locations that have been the site of atomic explosions, offer exhibits on the development of atomic devices, or include vehicles to deliver atomic weapons. For each location, the Bureau tell you what you will see and specifics about locations, dates, and times. Additional links are also provided.

If there's is a name for a phobia, you can find it here! Do you know what Osmophobia is? Sounds like a chemistry sort of thing, but is it...?

Okay, so there isn't really any science here, but there are a LOT of products that could be considered as aids to scientific research, given that they all include caffeine. I view this site (not just the caffeine part) as a sort of scientific curiosity.