Retrospectacle: A Neuroscience Blog

Science Finally Discovers My 3rd Grade Science Fair Project

Posted by Shelley Batts on March 23, 2007
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i-2d0fe83bc77a6170b9f0ddeefc506c01-science fair.jpg Sooooo, turns out that pop/soda/Coke *does* rot your teeth. Um, now they listen? Where was this press release during the 1989 school year when a burgeoning nerdlet conducted (not so) scientific examinations into THIS VERY FACT?? Its a conspiracy I tell you!

Interestingly, the high-falutin’ eggheads found that root beer products don’t corrode teeth as they don’t contain the acidic effervescence in carbonated sodas. And while sugared varieties are worse, the diet versions are quite bad for your teeth too.

I wish I had a picture of my old 3-fold cardboard display with my ‘Abstract’ and ‘Results’ printed on dot-matrix printer paper and my hand-drawn graphs. I may have been scooped in the span of 18 years (*gah*) but it doesn’t hurt any less. Next they’ll be publishing the results of which paper towel is more absorbant….

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Comments

  1. #1 Colst
    March 23, 2007

    “the high-falutin’ eggheads found that root beer products don’t corrode teeth as they don’t contain the acidic effervescence in carbonated sodas.”

    Although that is the explanation given in the paper, it’s nonsense. The paper says that root beer (they used Mug) is not carbonated and does not contain citric or phosphoric acid. From the Mug Root Beer web site:

    “Contains: Carbonated water, high fructose corn syrup, caramel color, sodium benzoate (preserves freshness), citric acid, natural and artificial flavors, modified food starch, ascorbic acid (to protect flavor) and quillaia extract.”

  2. #2 Mark
    March 23, 2007

    Precedence! You got precedence! Are any of the “researchers” of about your age? Could they have seen your presentation in the poster session?

  3. #3 J-Dog
    March 23, 2007

    Your 8-year old self would be smiling instead of being so serious, if you had just happened to have some Diet Coke and Mentos laying around…

    If you ever get the Time Machine working properly, you will know what to do!

    ps: What does the Medalion around you neck indicate?

  4. #4 Shelley Batts
    March 23, 2007

    Oh thats not me. :) Just some random unhappy sci-fair kid (looks like she won a prize though.)

  5. #5 drcharles
    March 24, 2007

    congratulations to your former “nerdlet” self. what a great word by the way. i’m sure you’ll get your nobel prize soon, though, just like the h. pylori guys.

  6. #6 Carol Batts
    March 29, 2007

    Oh, how I wish I could get into our pics that are stored! I have the science poster pics complete with video footage of those infamous “science fairs”!

  7. #7 Brad F
    March 29, 2007

    This reminds me of / have you ever seen SomethingAwful.com’s “Science Fair Fashion SWAT”?

    http://www.somethingawful.com/d/fashion-swat/return-science-fair.php?page=1

    It is the humor of undersocialized and sunlight-deficient computer programmers, but for that narrative, they do a bang-up job.

    (props to your blog)

    Brad

  8. #8 oliver
    March 3, 2009

    my science is about nut(penis,dick)

  9. #9 David
    March 27, 2009

    http://www.fairpoint.net/~sundog_rocks/fair_display.jpg

    Found via Reddit…. ;)

  10. #10 guest
    March 28, 2009

    You’ve been shopped, it appears:

    http://www.fairpoint.net/~sundog_rocks/fair_display.jpg

  11. #11 Amanda Hess
    March 31, 2009

    Where did you get the image? It’s been photoshopped into something less appropriate now, artist unknown. Just trying to track the source.

    http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/sexist/2009/03/30/aids-the-gay-plague-photo-corner/

  12. #12 Sharon
    April 3, 2009

    I hate to be the bearer of bad news but your photo has been taken, photoshopped and posted on pictureisunrelated.com

  13. #13 BetterThanYouWusses
    April 6, 2009

    Coke only rots the teeth of wusses.

  15. #15 Mike
    May 14, 2009

    What about diet soda?

  16. #16 Charles
    May 29, 2009

    Shelley says, ” Follow me and my parrot on the quest to get funded, get a PhD, and stay sane.”

    Sorry, dear. You get to keep two of the three. My advice is to wave gently goodbye to sanity, because it will only hinder your enjoyment of committee meetings and grant preparation.

  17. #17 claw
    June 6, 2009

    hmmm, someone has ‘shopped your original and turned it into a project called “AIDS the Gay Plague”, oursignal.com had a link called “wtf is up with science” and it shows a cropped version of your pic with totally different and rediculous stuff on the display.

    ah, the internets.

  18. #18 Yeah
    July 20, 2009

    I love Internet

    So damn Evil

  19. #19 ali
    August 8, 2009

    cool^_- good luck on keeping sanity while getting phd. question. are you wearing colored contacts? the old picture shows a much darker eye color.
    best,
    ali

  20. #20 Ryan
    August 25, 2009

    I just found a Photoshopped version of the image for a very funny, very awful, picture of what a science fair looks like in a small fundamentalist community:
    http://www.somethingawful.com/d/photoshop-phriday/science-fair.php?page=7

  21. #21 MeganMarie(:
    October 27, 2009

    Ayyye(:

  22. #22 College Grants for Mothers
    September 13, 2010

    My gradeschool pics are all ruined because of the tornado…. And i did a presentation about soda pop as energy drink.

  23. #23 College Grants for Mother
    September 17, 2010

    i’m sure you’ll get your nobel prize soon

  24. #24 Jen D
    November 24, 2010

    http://pictureisunrelated.memebase.com/2009/04/03/wtf-is-going-on-with-science/
    This picture has turned in to something of an internet fad, not too sure if you were aware.

  25. #25 Marie
    June 9, 2011

    Your science project was a good one. Every science project done religiously by someone is a good one. So, be proud of it.