Youth gets taste of science at Franklin library

FRANKLIN — A group of young science fans gathered in the upper room of the Franklin Library on Thursday evening to participate in a Mad Mixtures science program.

Hopatcong resident ‘Bionic’ Bonnie Anderson of Mad Science Group, introduced scientific principles relating to density, pH levels, and chemical reactions to 14 junior scientists. Her chemicals were basic foods, food coloring and liquid soap.

Anderson demonstrated several scientific chemical phenomena and then the audience formed small groups for hands on experience chemical reactions. Junior scientists mixed baking soda and tinted vinegar to make an erupting volcano and used liquid soap to observe its effects on the surface tension of liquids.

Anderson defined scientific terms with words the audience could understand.

“We tailor the program to the age group,” Anderson said. “I have a degree in theatre and I won the science award in eighth grade. I was always a bit of a science geek before it was cool.”

Anderson found a perfect niche for her talents mixing science with entertainment.

“Kids love it everywhere you go," she said. "Science is fun. You don’t have the mad mathematician come to your birthday party. You have the mad scientist.”

Thursday’s event was more theater than hard science.

“This is more of entertainment program than just the straight learning,” said Anderson. During the school year she does four one-hour classes a week at various schools. Her oldest audience was eighth graders in Newton.

“It was more the science part of it rather than the entertainment part,” she said.