ESP Biography

Would you drink black water? Clear Pepsi? How about using pink butter or green ketchup? Believe it or not, these products actually existed, and not that long ago either. But there is a reason these food fads did not last. Consumers prefer that the color of food matches its flavor. Through a series of hands-on activities, this class will investigate the chemistry of food colorings, giving students the chance to understand how both natural and artificial dyes are used in what they eat and drink every day.

O H , S Na P! Something’s gone wrong in the Stanford chemistry labs! We can’t find our beloved Professor Gen Hydro and there’s evidence everywhere of trickery afoot. We need your help! You have 50 minutes to find out what’s happened before the culprit strikes again. You will solve a series of chemistry-related problems to identify the perpetrator. Once you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.

What is slime, and why is it slimy? In this hands-on, interactive class, we'll teach you everything you need to know about the science of slime--from non-Newtonian fluid dynamics to cross-linking chemistry. Join us! We'll make sure you leave the class with some insta-worthy slime!

Learn the basics of photography using chemicals! Today, almost every phone has a camera, and every camera today uses electronic technology. But did you know digital cameras only started becoming popular 20 years ago? Before then, photography was done with chemistry. In this class, we'll talk about some of the processes used and then you can make your own chemical photograph using the cyanotype process, which is the origin of the term "blueprint."