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Need experiment suggestions for ZeroG flight

MadOverlord

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Jan 3, 2007
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My entire family is going on one of the Space Adventures ZeroG flights next month, and given that we're a science-oriented bunch, the kids and I want to do some simple science experiments/demonstrations. The trick, of course, is that they have to be compact, not get in the way of the other passengers, *and* get through TSA screening.

I have been coming up with some ideas, and blogging about them. One nice thing is that I have gotten approval to bring a high-speed video camera (the Casio Exilim EX-F1, you can see some videos I've done with it here, including a new look at the infamous coke&mentos) on the flight, though there may not be enough light to do high-speed, and I'll have to settle for high-def.

However, I am looking for a wide range of opinions/ideas from other people, and it occurred to me that the JREF forum might be a good place to find such people, or find people who know where to find people who would have good ideas.

I've put up some postings with some of the initial (pretty obvious) ideas, enjoy!
 
My guess is that the blowing won't generate enough thrust to do much, or at least, to do enough to be noticeable against the background of perturbations from the other passengers, etc.

If you read the blog, you'll see that I already plan to do some gyroscope experiments using a hard drive as a compact source of angular momentum.
 
I believe you can still get a pack of matches through TSA security, although not lighters. Watching the blue spherical ball of flame would be a quick neat demo (http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/ast12may_1.htm), although be sure to get approval from the flight crew first. If it's a single instance of a lit match, overseen by the crew with a fire extinguisher handy, they might allow it.
 
Thanks for the suggestions. We just finished the flight. We ended up doing 3 experiments; gyroscopic motion (using a hacked hard drive as the gyroscope), zero-gravity karate, and, believe it or not, diet coke & mentos in microgravity -- which I filmed with a high-speed camera.

The entire family was totally blown away by this experience, it is very hard to put it into words, except to say that I recommend it to everyone interested in space exploration and/or physics. Save your pennies (400,000 of them!) and do it. (and if enough people are interested, it might be possible to get a group discount for a flight at the next TAM)

The most surprising thing for me was this: in freefall, you do not feel like you are falling! The sensation is totally unlike that which you get in, say, a theme-park drop ride. It's very hard to describe it at all, because it's the absence of the sensation of gravity.

It's just so cool. You have to do it. End of story.
 
Zero G is the only company that is FAA-certified to provide these flights (there are some non-US companies that do it also, apparently), and it took 10 years for them to get through the regulatory hoops. They operate under the same rules as any major airline.

Amusingly enough, this means that before you go on the flight, you have to go through a TSA screening. This was done by a special team, and they already knew about all of our experiments.

It's trite, I know, but it's been 48 hours and we're all still floating on air.
 
Instead of blowing air out your mouth, bring some balloons (deflated). Blow them up on the way up, and release the air on the way down, to see if it's enough to propel you.

You could bring a basketball and toss it back and forth and watch the action/reaction.

For an exercise in futility, try juggling.

And probably the coolest thing you could do is to release some blobs of water and suck them up out of the air.
 
The balloons don't have enough specific impulse to make you move noticeably.

Ball tossing works. Girl tossing works better.

I might try juggling in lunar gravity next time.

Drinking water spheres is a standard thing they do. So is chasing M&M's.
 
That's the same outfit that took Jamie and Adam up for the Mythbusters Moon Hoax myth show.

I often give a presentation called "Toys in Space" which has videos of astronauts performing several experiments with simple objects. Although I caught this thread too late, I might have some suggestions for the next go-round.

And I might even wind up doing them myself, someday.
 
Suggestions always welcome. And trust me, do this sooner rather than later. This is high on the list of "The 100 things Science Geeks Have To Do Before They Die"
 
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