photo by: John Young

Dr. Pyro, better known to his friends as Kansas University student Sonny Tallavajhala, Overland Park, puts on a fiery show for spectators by exploding balloons filled with a mixture of helium and oxygen during the annual Carnival of Chemistry on Sunday at Malott Hall.

photo by: John Young

A group of kids get their hands dirty while playing with oobleck during the annual Carnival of Chemistry. Oobleck, named after a fictional green material in the Dr. Seuss book “Bartholomew and the Oobleck,” is a non-Newtonian fluid, meaning it acts as both a liquid and a solid.

photo by: John Young

Four-year-old Jansen Billie, Lawrence, concentrates as he creates a molecule out of mini marshmallows and toothpicks during the annual Carnival of Chemistry held Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011 at Malott Hall. The carnival features fun and games while teaching kids about the wonders of chemistry.

photo by: John Young

Brandy Reico, center, helps her son Mason, 2, fire a ball from the Spectrapult while her daughter Hannah, 5, watches her own shot during the annual Carnival of Chemistry held Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011 at Malott Hall. The carnival features fun and games while teaching kids about the wonders of chemistry.

photo by: John Young

Five-year-old Sarah Whittaker, Lawrence, concentrates on holding steady as she has a rainbow painted on her face during the annual Carnival of Chemistry held Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011 at Malott Hall. The carnival features fun and games while teaching kids about the wonders of chemistry.

photo by: John Young

Dr. Cool, played by Kansas University freshman Hannah Ceule, Mascoutah, Ill., uses a banana frozen in liquid nitrogen to hammer a nail into a board during the annual Carnival of Chemistry held Sunday, Nov. 20, 2011 at Malott Hall. The carnival features fun and games while teaching kids about the wonders of chemistry.