Peepocalypse Now: Destroying Marshmallows for Science

by Jordan Yerman | March 23, 2008 at 09:44 am

1811 views | 2 Recommendations | 19 comments

If you want to get kids into a museum, destroying squidgy marshmallow candy seems to be the way to go. At the Rochester Museum asn Science Center, staff have taken that very approach. Leveraging kids' love of sweets and their curiosity towards blowing stuff up, Tim Cawley and company have devised a novel antidote for science apathy.

The Peeps became huge. Then Cawley let air back into the jar. The Peeps shrunk instantaneously, to the crowd's delight.

"They really taste nasty without the air in them. I don't know what it is," Cawley said, holding up a shriveled Peep. "But should you eat your science experiments?"

"No!" the children replied.

Jesse King, 11, of Lyons, Wayne County, watched the presentation with his parents and sister.

"It was good, but there were no explosions," he said. "Me and my dad were hoping."

When researching the Wikipedia article, I had come across the fascinating entry on Peeps, which in turn prompted me to hunt for Peeps in the news.

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Art By Monica

at 12:50 on March 23rd, 2008

Who can resist biting off a peep's head? Not me, and not other peep's...

Art By Monica has contributed a photo to this story.

Jordan Yerman

at 13:01 on March 23rd, 2008

It's as if they're manufactured to be destroyed. Eating them seems somehow secondary.

Art By Monica

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 12:52 on March 23rd, 2008

This is really TASTY good stuff! Great story!

spellcheck

at 15:01 on March 23rd, 2008

It's true, they are more fun to destroy than to eat. I actually hate the taste of Peeps alone, but when sizzling in between chocolate and graham cracker.. mmm.

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ohhh_yeah808

at 22:09 on March 23rd, 2008

5th annual Bunny on a Bike Ride in Portland, Oregon. Bunnies on Bikes from North, Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, and Northwest, gathered in 5 different parks for a Play-date in the Park on Easter Sunday.

ohhh_yeah808 has contributed a photo to this story.

ohhh_yeah808

at 22:12 on March 23rd, 2008

i added my photo but for anybody who wants to see the best peeps photo click on the link...

http://dlisted.com/files/peepshotslutsoftheday1.jpg

CZzyzx41

at 23:04 on March 23rd, 2008

This was a crafts project built by my wife as a mock Easter centerpiece at our dinner table. It was inspired by a now popular picture from the 'net and I think it might just be it's equal if not even surpassing the original.

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maidenvt

at 02:31 on March 24th, 2008

I must confess. I did buy some but purely for their artistic value.

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Feline Slade

at 02:32 on March 24th, 2008

This is an avatar spotted in Second Life, during a live music performance by Maximillion Kleene. No doubt the avatar was inspired by everyone's favorite Easter candy: Peeps!

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neilltyler

at 02:58 on March 24th, 2008

Can you hear me know?

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ashlyebaker

at 03:54 on March 24th, 2008

Peep Cake made by my Granny for Easter.

ashlye nicole has contributed a photo to this story.

spcheah

at 04:19 on March 24th, 2008

Sunflower Chocolate Ganache cake made by my aunt, Julie Legan for Easter.

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cupcakequeen

at 04:52 on March 24th, 2008

Take a "peep" at the Peep Family breakfast...they are seemingly unconcerned that their house has been over run with Rum Cupcakes...as they all...mom, dad, brother,baby dog and cat...enjoy reading their Washington Post!

Cupcakes based on "Hugh Pearson's Rum Cake"...much rum!

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bigjonevans

at 05:43 on March 24th, 2008

We invented a little game called Peepgolf. Its rather funny. Check out peepgolf.com

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Kristianna

at 06:21 on March 24th, 2008

Cocoa with Peeps 'Topper'

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Marcy Mendelson

at 09:41 on March 24th, 2008

Battle of the bunnies in preparation for Bring Your Own Big Wheel in San Francisco.
Photog: Marcy Mendelson
flickr.com/mmendelson

M.Mendelson has contributed a photo to this story.

Alejandra Darling

at 09:54 on March 24th, 2008

My Treeson Blue saw a Peep army marching across the lawn and decided to join up. "I'm not a Peep" he said "But I wanna march too!"

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fromages_noirs

at 10:19 on March 24th, 2008

The Peep Messiah sacrificed himself for our unpeeply ways.

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dawneubanks2005

at 11:43 on March 24th, 2008

The offical website for peeps is http://www.marshmallowpeeps.com/. You can purchase plush peeps at Target, Walmart, Bed Bath and Beyond, Linens-n-Things, Giant, Safeway , CVS Ebay, and Amazon. There is also a cool link that tells how to take peeps and intergrate them into science (http://www.peepresearch.org/). Or take into joining the flickr peeps club @ http://www.flickr.com/groups/peeps-tastic/discuss/19871/. Whatever you do just remember it just isnt Easter without peeps, even if your like me and dont eat them :)

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