Let’s go with the flow with five fun and fascinating fast facts about water, an interview with Kelly Osterberg, an educator who knows a lot about water catchments, and a watery activity for you to try yourself at home.

Presented by Jenny Lynch and Matilda. Written and produced by Jenny Lynch. Music by Purple Planet Music. Sound effects by Pixabay.

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Creative Science: https://www.creativescience.com.au

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Episode content:

00:20 Introduction and fast facts

04:45 Interview with Kelly Osterberg

11:08 Water from leaves activity

WaterNSW https://www.waternsw.com.au

WaterNSW Education https://www.waternsw.com.au/education

WaterNSW on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@WaterNSWvideos

Water from leaves activity

You will need: a large clear plastic bag, some string, and a healthy tree with lots of leaves that is in a sunny place.

1. Choose a leafy branch hanging down low and bending towards the ground.
2. Place the plastic bag over the branch so there are lots of leaves inside the bag.
3. Gather the edges of the bag and hold the edges firmly around the branch. Tie some string around the bag to hold it in place on the branch. Try to position the bag so water will collect in the bottom of the bag without leaking out.
4. Leave the bag in place for several hours or overnight. After a few hours, you should start to see water collecting in the bottom of the bag.

What’s happening?

The water vapour made by the leaves condenses on the inside of the plastic bag to form liquid water which then flows down and collects at the bottom of the bag. This method for collecting the ‘transpiration’ water from plants is a bush survival skill people can use if they are stranded in the bush with no fresh water to drink, however, you should not drink the water you collected in this activity because it might not be very clean. Maybe you can pour the water back around the bottom of the tree so the roots can soak it up for more transpiration.

Let’s celebrate World Frog Day with five fun and fascinating fast facts about frogs, a chat with some froggy scientists, Dr Jodi Rowley and Dr Rebecca Webb, and a gooey chia seed frog spawn activity for you to try yourself at home.

Presented by Jenny Lynch and Matilda. Written and produced by Jenny Lynch. Music by Purple Planet Music. Sound effects by Pixabay.

Image: Green Tree Frog Litoria caerulea (Photo credit: Dr Jodi Rowley)

Support the podcast to keep it ad-free! https://buymeacoffee.com/creativescience

Join the email list: https://www.creativescience.com.au/contact/

Creative Science: https://www.creativescience.com.au

Facebook: @creativescienceaustralia

Instagram: @creative_science_australia

Episode content:

00:00 Introduction and fast facts

03:33 Interview with Dr Jodi Rowley

11:19 Interview with Dr Rebecca Webb

14:51 Chia seed frog spawn activity

FrogID citizen science project led by Dr Jodi Rowley at the Australian Museum: https://www.frogid.net.au/

Dr Rebecca Webb at the University of Melbourne: https://findanexpert.unimelb.edu.au/profile/962839-rebecca-webb

Chia seed frog spawn activity

You will need: cold water, a measuring cup, a tablespoon, 2 tablespoons of black chia seeds, and a spoon for stirring. Chia seeds are small seeds that you might be able to buy at a supermarket, a fruit and vegetable shop, or a health food store.

1. Wash your hands with soap and warm water.
2. Add half a cup of cold water to the measuring cup.
3. Add two tablespoons of black chia seeds to the water.
4. Stir the mixture and leave it to sit for about 5 minutes.
5. Stir it again and then leave the mixture to cool down in the fridge for 2 hours.
6. After 2 hours, take it out of the fridge and stir the mixture one more time.
7. Make sure your hands are clean before picking up the mixture to play with it.

When you take it out of the fridge, you will have a cup of gooey chia seed frog spawn.

You can also try adding honey or maple syrup to the chia seed mixture to make a tasty snack!

What’s happening?

Chia seeds are the seeds of the plant Salvia hispanica which is native to Mexico and Guatemala. When the seeds are mixed with water, a slimy coating forms to protect the seeds until they have time to grow. The slimy coating on the seeds looks a lot like the gooey jelly in frog spawn that protects frog’s eggs until they are ready to hatch.

It’s time to widen your mind with five fun and fascinating fast facts about creativity, an interview with Cristy Burne, a storyteller who knows a lot about science and creativity, and an imaginative paper activity for you to try yourself at home.

Written, presented, and produced by Jenny Lynch. Music by Purple Planet Music. Sound effects by Pixabay.

Creative Science: https://www.creativescience.com.au

Facebook: @creativescienceaustralia

Instagram: @creative_science_australia

Episode content:

00:00 Introduction and fast facts

04:02 Self-correcting science

05:11 Interview with Cristy Burne

11:14 Piece of paper activity

Cristy Burne: www.cristyburne.com

Piece of paper activity

You will need: an ordinary piece of paper

This activity starts with a couple of ideas of things to do with a piece of paper and then it will be up to you to come up with something new to do with the paper.

1. Try rolling up the piece of paper to make a cylinder shape. Stand the cylinder on one end. Is it strong enough to support something? Which way did you roll the piece of paper? Was it a long cylinder or a short cylinder? Try rolling it the other way. Is it stronger now?
2. Hold the piece of paper high above the ground and let if fall to the floor. Does the paper fall quickly or slowly? If you fold the paper in half, will it fall any faster?
3. Now it’s your turn. What can you think of to do with the piece of paper? Give yourself a few minutes of thinking time to hold the piece of paper and imagine something to do with the paper that you have never thought of doing before.

What’s happening?

Creativity in science often involves thinking about existing ideas and imagining something new. Taking the time to look at familiar objects in new ways can lead to exciting new thoughts, inventions, and discoveries.