N is doing an online Science Fair that he found out about from his online Physics teacher–and is having a blast! It’s right up his alley of chatting about something he loves (science), making videos (of anything) and being online (famous). One of his goals in life is, honestly, to be on America’s Funniest Home Videos. This isn’t quite the same, but has real potential. Today he blogged a little about it:
http://blogster5000.wordpress.com/2010/03/29/my-brother-is-an-alien/
How in the world he’s going to get this down to 4 minutes *and* include his findings is a mystery to me. He won’t be swayed to pick a different topic though, so he’s got @ 20 days to whittle and hone. His hypothesis is already tweeked so he doesn’t have to prove *every* living thing has DNA…just the ones on his list, plus his brother.
As much as he’s loving the front of camera part, he’s going to blow a gasket when it’s time to edit! He has big plans to include Bill Nye (his hero) in his video so it sounds like Bill is in the room but out of camera range. He’s also going to wrap the cardboard box in tinfoil and really play up the part about his brother being an alien. Four minutes is a lifetime if you’re holding your bladder or being stampeded by a herd of buffalo, but when trying to present an entire Science Fair project? Itgoesbythisfast. I sense danger. We are pretty terrible with time: telling it, keeping it, estimating it.
E was, as always, so supportive of his brother today and wandered around the kitchen waving stuff around during the shoot. We’re planning a “Summer of Science” and will probably wind up doing a lot of videos in the coming months.
E is thinking about what project he can videotape tomorrow. He asked me earlier if we have any vinegar, among other things, so maybe he’ll do the windows while he’s fixing to blow up the house.
Delicious Minutiae 
Grandpa said,
March 29, 2010 at 8:48 pm
Hi N,
It’s good to see that you are doing some good science. I don’t think E is an alien, he’s too cute.
Deb Porter said,
March 29, 2010 at 10:02 pm
Laughing so hard it hurts!
ChereMere said,
March 30, 2010 at 6:24 am
That was awesome! Does he actually have to do the experiments in camera?
I think he could get it down to four minutes. (I am good at time estimates and my mad editing skills are tingling.)
I can’t wait to see the finished product and anything else he makes.
p.s. I am impressed with his level of knowledge about DNA, Zoe knows all that stuff but I don’t know if she could make such a good video about it, especially improving. Kudos!
Kim B. said,
March 30, 2010 at 8:11 am
Heather,
The whole point of the science fair is that it’s entirely delivered in four minute video “packages” by each of the participants. It’s supposed to be for ages 10 and up, split into two age groups 10-12, 13+ (i think) but his coach said he could go ahead and register. Now Science Jim doesn’t outwardly love N’s project because it’s too much to cover in four minutes and the showmanship and creative editing seem to be just as (if not more) important as the project. We have never done any video editing, so I don’t even know how to show N so he can do it himself. Should be fun!
He did things a little Bass Ackwards–decided what he wanted to do because it sounded cool then struggled to come up with a hypothesis to justify his mad scientist ways, hasn’t done any research whatsoever, hasn’t actually learned anything except what roles the soap and meat tenderizer play… All in all, asynchronous science fair where a 2nd grade process meets not 2nd grade knowledge.
ChereMere said,
March 30, 2010 at 8:34 am
Well, it is cool for Science Jim (who is that btw?) to allow N to participate. I think N’s bass ackward way is what most kids are going to be doing, even the 13+ ones.
Kathie said,
April 1, 2010 at 12:05 am
Bill! Bill! Bill! Love Bill.
Do you have Windows Movie Maker? We’ve used that for some basic video editing and it wasn’t too bad. Came right along with XP. Don’t know about the later versions.