If you have a wee one with an interest in science (face it, you’re reading CG and TC, your procreative material is pre-disposed to nerdity) then check out Allen Kurzweil’s latest project, a science kit in a potato chip bag.
Potato Chip Science, available now for pre-order and shipping in September, lets you learn science through the magic of bag chips, tubes, and even actual potato products. You can study acoustics, aeronautics, forensics, and as well as the psychology of shame when you realize that you’ve eaten far too many potato chips in your life.
The kit includes the obvious spud battery to power a speaker and a clock as well a spud gun (called the Mini Extermi-tater) and a number of chemistry, electronic, and physics experiments. It costs about $12 and includes a book and all the parts inside a potato chip bag.
I first heard about Allen when I read his book the Grand Complication and now he and his son do a lot of these fun kids books and science projects. He told me that after he wrote his books about watches and other curiosities he was the “boring guy at the party” and now, with the chip book, everyone wants to talk to him. Pick up artists, take note.
We’ll have a full review when they start shipping the kit.
UPDATE – Just found Kurzweil’s son Max talking about his potato battery project.