Brain Injury

Protect That BRAIN! - Mr. Egghead

Whether you bike, skateboard, or rollerblade, it is a good idea to wear a helmet to protect your brain. To demonstrate this, get two eggs. Pretend that the egg shell is a skull and the inside of the egg is a brain. Spread some newspaper on the ground (it helps clean-up). Drop one of the eggs on the newspaper...it should break....it was not wearing a helmet. Make a helmet for the second egg. This helmet can be made of paper, styrofoam, or anything else that will cushion the egg. Drop the egg wearing the "helmet." Notice that it remained unbroken (we hope). This should reinforce the idea that wearing helmets while biking, skating, etc. is a good idea. Actually, if the eggs break while wearing the "helmet," it is a good opportunity to ask why...was the "helmet" unsafe? Did the egg fall at an angle so that it was not protected? How would you make the best helmet?

I have heard of people doing this experiment with a WATERMELON thrown off of a roof, but I have never tried it. I am sure that this demonstration would have a great "impact" on all those who watch.

Materials:

• Two Raw Eggs
• Egg "Helmet" - newspaper, styrofoam, etc.
• Tape (to hold "helmet on the egg)
• Newspaper - a few sheets to spread on the ground to clean up is easy.
• Markers - you could draw a picture of Mr. Egghead on your eggs.