Steve Spangler

Steve Spangler is an author, professional speaker, Emmy Award winner, listed in the Time 100, science teacher, founder of two companies, toy maker and a trained magician.Julia Ann Charpentier [http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=1747 Steve Spangler Science Has the Magic Touch] Retrieved January 5, 2007.] He is most famous for the hugely popular experiment of dropping a Mentos into a bottle of Diet Coke, with the end result being a huge geyser of Diet Coke.

Television and media

Since starting his television career 15-years ago, Steve Spangler has appeared in over 240 television shows Steve Spangler [http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/teacher_training/steves_bio_info.php Steve Spangler bio.] Retrieved January 2, 2007.] , featuring as an "authority on inquiry-based learning". Every week he is watched by over a million viewers on KUSA-TV (9News) as their "science guy". He is also appears frequently on Weather + Plus University (NBC Weather + Plus). Spangler was also the science host on the nationally syndicated show, News for Kids. And, in 1997, Spangler won an Emmy Award for his role in the show. [http://www.natascolo.org/archives/1997_winners.php 1997 Emmy Award Winners] ]

Spangler was nominated for a position in the Time 100, where the public votes. After the voting finished, Spangler secured the 18th position, [http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/time100walkup/article/0,28804,1611030_1610841_1609829,00.html Steve Spangler nomination page] . Accessed May 10, 2007.] edging out over Brad Pitt and Barack Obama (19th and 20th respectively), but losing to Howard Stern at 17th. [http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/time100walkup/article/0,28804,1611030_1612457,00.html Your Time 100] . Accessed on May 10, 2007.] The main reason for him being nominated was for popularizing the Mentos eruption (see below). Spangler has never been on the cover of "Time" magazine, nor having a position on the Time 100 list previously. When Spangler announced his nomination on his blog, he had over 202 comments. [http://www.stevespangler.com/archives/2007/04/21/the-surprise-of-the-time-list/ The TIME 100 List] . Published April 21, 2007. Accessed on May 10, 2007.]

Education work

Spangler is the director of the [http://www.nhosi.com/ National Hands-on Science Institute] , based in Denver, Colorado. Spangler's role as director means he is responsible for the coordination of 850 staff training in the US. The institute also sponsors a summer camp in Aspen Creek School, Broomfield, for both teachers and children. The teachers are taught various fun type science experiments in the morning and then show the children those experiments in the afternoon. Spangler said: "This is the only teacher training model of its kind in the country." Kathy Sabine [http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=9292 Steve Spangler Science: Summer Science Camp] Retrieved January 5, 2007.] Spangler acts as a consultant for Littleton Public Schools, Colorado. There he helps students get motivated and more interested in the hands-on aspect of science.

Commercial work

Spangler is the founder of Englewood-based Steve Spangler Science and Be Amazing! Toys, which is the wholesale division of Steve Spangler Science. He has since sold Be Amazing Toys. He is the CEO of the online and catalog based company, Steve Spangler Science and is the creative director of Be Amazing! Toys which has designed and developed more than 50 scientific toys and products for Scholastic, Discovery Channel, Toys "R" Us, Target, etc.Julia Ann Charpentier [http://www.toydirectory.com/monthly/article.asp?id=1747 Steve Spangler Science Has the Magic Touch] Retrieved January 5, 2007.] Steve Spangler Science has fifteen employees.

Spangler is the author of two books. One is titled: "Fizz Factor: 50 Amazing Experiments With Soda Pop", sparked by the Mentos eruption. And the other is called: "Secret Science: 25 Science Experiments Your Teacher Doesn't Know About".

In 2005 Steve Spangler sued award-winning Seattle-based company, Scientific Explorer Inc. for re-branding and reselling Spangler's products and for failing to meet contractual agreements. Steve Spangler Science and Scientific Explorer had previously had a contract together for Scientific Explorer to manufacture, package, market and sell various products developed by Spangler. But the contract finished three-years later in August, 2004 and was never renewed. In the contract, Scientific Explorer were to give Spangler 10% sales royalty each sales quarter, Spangler said that they failed to pay him on the last two sales quarters before the contract expired. On a plane to Denver, Colorado, Spangler opened a toy package he had bought at the airport called Growing Giant Dinos, the same toy that Spangler was selling called Test Tube Dinos. Fizz, Bobble, Erupt was resold by Scientific Explorer as Bubbling Potions, Extreme Glow re-branded Atomic Glow and Crazy Crystals was renamed Wild Crystals, according to Spangler.Greg Griffin "A formula for frustration: 'Mad scientist' sues, alleging theft of concepts" "Denver Post"]

Mentos eruption

When Spangler was an elementary school science teacher in the 1980s he initially used Life Savers for the Mentos eruption experiment. Spangler initiated the huge Internet phenomenon when he appeared on 9News in 2002 and 2005, both times showcasing the experiment. A video of his September 2005 [http://www.internetretailer.com/dailyNews.asp?id=21526 Mentos + soda + video + blog = Cha-ching!] . Published on February 23, 2007 by InternetRetailer. Accessed on April 17, 2007.] appearance, which resulted in one of the anchors being drenched in Coke, was placed on their website and Spangler wrote a blog post about it.Steve Spangler [http://www.stevespangler.com/archives/2005/09/06/news-anchor-gets-soaked-steves-exploding-soda-experiment-gets-even-better-3/#more-149 Blog post] Retrieved January 2, 2007.] The video was posted online on the popular video sharing site, YouTube. Which resulted in hundreds of other videos being posted. YouTube now boasts over 12,000 videos. [http://www.internetretailer.com/dailyNews.asp?id=21854 Science toy e-retailer sets off blog geyser of publicity] . Published by InternetRetailer on March 27, 2007. Accessed on April 17, 2007. He called himself stupid because he thought the experiment wouldn't work!]

Along with his Be Amazing Toys! company, Spangler created an easy way for kids to reproduce the experiment. The equipment was showcased at the 2007 American International Toy Fair 2007, along with regular Mentos geysers.Caroline McCarthy: [http://news.com.com/Toy+Fair+07+Is+it+cool+to+like+science+now/2100-11395_3-6158781.html Toy Fair '07: Is it cool to like science now?] by [CNET News.com] . Published February 13, 2007. Accessed February 15, 2007] Insta-snow was also demonstrated at the Toy Fair. [http://www.beamazing.com/index.html Be Amazing!] . Accessed February 15, 2007.] Spangler described, in an interview, that the Mentos eruption isn't the best trick he knows but "It's the trick that got the most notoriety."Al Lewis [http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_4613809 Mentos-soda mix a mint for scientist] Retrieved January 2, 2007.] Spangler has demonstrated the Mentos eruption "...on television, talk shows, science conventions, teacher associations, for CEO's at huge motivational speaking rallies, for Nobel Prize winners and anyone else who might watch." Steve Spangler [http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/00000109 Mentos Explosion.] Retrieved January 2, 2007.] Spangler was also consulted for the quiz show, Who Wants to be a Millionaire? regarding a question about the Mentos eruption.

References

* [http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/1125091221.html?dids=1125091221:1125091221&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Sep+10%2C+2006&author=Patrick+Evans&pub=Toronto+Star&edition=&startpage=D.3&desc=A+blog%2C+a+bottle%2C+a+mint Toronto Star article]
* [http://www.brandweek.com/bw/news/spotlight/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003467838 Book Excerpt: Giving Up Control and Other Scary Lessons]
* [http://www.weatherplus.com/university/11372821/detail.html Appearance on NBC Weather Plus.]

External links

* [http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/ Steve Spangler Science]
* [http://www.stevespangler.com/ Steve Spangler's blog]
* [http://www.9news.com/spangler/ Video experiments on 9News]