A handful of kids and their parents who braved the torrential rains Saturday were rewarded with a deeper look into fire and ice by Caleb Clinkingbeard, a "mad scientist" with Mad Science of Pima County.
The program is designed to get, and keep, kids interested in science. Clinkingbeard had his small audience at the Dusenberry-River Branch Library, 5605 E. River Road, laughing and learning as he demonstrated the fiery effects of flashpaper and the Bronx cheer — the raspberry sound — that a warm steel hammer makes when pressed against dry ice.
"We're trying restore a sense of wonder in these kids," Clinkingbeard said. "They're so media savvy, they've been exposed to so much. They say, 'I've seen that before.' Yeah, you've seen it, but you don't understand it. With understanding comes a sense of awe."
