Today's Preschool Science lesson

 This is the conversation I had with Silas upon his return from preschool today:

Silas: Mom, I need sodium bicarbonate.
Me: What now?
Silas: Sodium bicarbonate.
Me: Us lay-people usually call it "baking soda."
Silas: Get me sodium bicarbonate.  I need it.
Me:...
Silas: Please!

 Silas then goes and gets the volcano he and his dad made together last year.
Me: What else do you need to make it explode?
Silas: Vinegar.
I get him vinegar to accompany the baking soda.
Silas: Also water.
He goes and gets some water, then proceeds to experiment pouring/scooping different quantities of each substance into the volcano.

Silas: I'm making Crater Lake (in Oregon).
Me: Does adding water make it more or less bubbly?
Silas: Less.
Me: What makes it more bubbly?
Silas: Vinegar added to sodium bicarbonate.
Me: Okay!

I guess his teacher was right when she said we should encourage him in science.  Maybe we'll work on DNA sequencing next.