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Also this issue: Striking High Sandra Bernhard Lady Bunny Steven Wright |
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June 13-19, 2002
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Flying his kite, with a metal key attached, in the middle of a thunderstorm in 1752, Benjamin Franklin sought to prove that lightning is a stream of electrified particles. Go figure: He was right. With this month commemorating the 250th anniversary of Franklin's kite and key experiment, the Franklin Institute is abuzz with numerous exciting educational activities.
Among the wonders at hand will be "Benjamin Franklin" himself, who will reenact his experiment while scientific interpreters explain its significance. A breathtaking "thunderstorm" show will develop with the formation of clouds, the crackling of thunder and flashes of lightning across the Atrium. Maybe qualifying as the most spectacular event, a pencil will be shot out of a cannon jolting it to 200 mph to demonstrate the effect tornados have on small objects.
Other events include an indoor ultra-light kite-flying demonstration, a "Create-a-Kite" station and an informative Franklin tour that gives visitors a chance to see one of his authentic lightning rod fragments.
250th Anniversary of Franklin’s Kite and Key Experiment, June 15, 12 p.m.-3 p.m.; “Thunderstorm,” 1p.m. and 3 p.m., Franklin Institute, 20th and the Parkway, 215-448-1175.
