14^th March, 2008

Superabsorbent Polymer
Nothing leaks out: Joachim Hecker's Bat Cries

Easter will be here soon and thus Joachim Hecker holds up an egg. Not just any egg, but the “first egg on the book fair”. And on top of that, it's also the egg of Columbus: three grains of salt, wedged underneath the egg, suffice to keep the egg upright. “Heckers Hexenkueche” is the name of the show for the ARD Audiobook Forum in hall 3, and Joachim Hecker presents scientific experiments for children aged 8 and older. Spring will be here soon, too, by the way, and thus Joachim Hecker, reporter with the WDR and renowned author of children's books, runs around the stage in a lemon yellow shirt and apple green jacket, quickly produces “the first snow on the book fair” and holds up a nappy to illustrate the qualities of superabsorbent polymer, plastic in granulated form. “You can wrap the little ones in these for a week and nothing leaks out.” Jacqueline, the sorcerer's shy assistant, then gets to operate the paper saw. The latter, however, does not saw up paper, but rather it saws up straws, spaghetti, and skewers with the help of a piece of paper stuck onto a traditional drill. At the same time, the snow keeps on oozing out of the plastic cup. Which leaves the ultrasound detector and the keyring: if you jangle the later underneath a street light during a mild summer night, some insects immediately fall to the floor. They believe the noise to be the cries of a bat and pretend to be dead. It's not just the children who are amazed.

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Excerpt