Wood scientist makes learning fun by blowing bubbles through wood

Adam Taylor is a wood scientist.

"We study how to make new things out of wood and how to make the best use of the wood that we have."

During his research of the environmentally friendly material, he learned that wood can do some really neat things that would easily entertain students.

"I try to do what I can to make it fun," he says.

His best trick yet is blowing bubbles through wood.

He passes out sticks of wood to his audience, along with a cup of soapy water. The third graders at Sequoyah Elementary in Knoxville, couldn't get enough of the experiment.

"It's fun because you can see the bubbles, and they'll like fall down, and you can pick them up and touch them," third grader Ann Parker says.

The students are learning that it's not just fun, but there is a scientific reason why blowing bubbles through wood is even possible.

"It has little holes, and you can blow through it, and that's how the water travels through," third grader Connor Capell says.

The students move from bubble blowing to testing just how strong wood is. The students measure the strength of their wood, by dropping cups of cement into a plastic bag, to see how many it would take to break the stick that's holding the bag.

"The lighter it is, the more easy it will break," Connor says.

Eight-year-old Connor wants to be a scientist one day.

"It looks like a very fun job, and I think it would be just fun."

He plans to start his first experiment as soon as he gets home from school.

"I will probably ask my mom if I can do the bubble blowing thing again," he says.