We need milk, liquid soap or detergent, food coloring and an ear swab. We will put the milk first, then the food coloring. It doesn't matter if I put too much, the reaction will take longer...
This is how Bogdan Radusinović, an eight-year-old science enthusiast, explains the preparation for the experiment.
Originally from Beran, the second-grade student of "Vuk Karadžić" Elementary School does not hide his love for chemistry and performing experiments.
Bogdanov, his father Marko and mentor Ivana Kljajić were guests of the "Vijesti" newsroom at the end of last week.
Although he shook hands shyly at first, Bogdan's shyness and trepidation disappeared the moment he put on his white lab coat, took out test tubes, paints and all the materials necessary to show his knowledge and love for science.
"My favorite experiment is 'Fleeing Colors,'" he explained.
He explains with a laugh that this means that "colors escape into the milk when I put detergent".
"...It doesn't matter if I put too much, let me remind you again. Food colors float on the surface and are lighter than milk. Now I'm going to put the ear stick in the mixture. Look how the liquid escapes", says little Bogdan.
He pointed out that the connection between milk and food coloring causes a chemical reaction, so "that's why the colors run away."
“Look, when I put food coloring back in, it doesn't run away anymore. Why? The reaction stopped and all ties were broken," said Radusinović.
He does not hide his enthusiasm for natural sciences, especially mathematics. As he said, he likes solving problems, helping his schoolmates and playing the guitar.
"My favorite song is 'Pod onom gorum zelenom' by Dragoljub Kovačević. I have many friends and comrades who are proud of me. I am often told that I am great. They ask me to teach them some experiments. I show them and they understand what's going on. That happens when I explain to them," said Radusinović.
"Bogdan's laboratories" to functional knowledge
His mentor Ivana Kljajić also confirmed that Bogdan is inclined towards science. He emphasizes that he is "a very creative child, who finds a question for every segment of life".
"I started working with him when he was seven years old and he fascinated me with a lot of questions related to some phenomenon, and each of my explanations required even more stories, because we followed up on almost every explained word, concept or phenomenon. And for the most part, he would know where it is applicable in everyday life, so the story never ends," she said.
Kljajić is the executive director of the non-governmental organization (NGO) "Kiri". That NGO was founded at the end of 2022, and some of its goals, Kljajić claims, are working with children and young talents in the field of science.
"Festivals and promotion of science, providing educational assistance to children with special educational needs in a creative, accessible and interesting way, work to suppress all forms of infectious diseases and forms of addiction, preservation of natural resources such as wood, water and minerals...", Kljajić pointed out.
According to her, the most current project at the moment is "Bogdan's laboratory".
"In other words, working with eight-year-old Bogdan who loves science, so we came up with the idea that he should have his own laboratory. In a creative way, I direct him to the world of science, so that he can experimentally gain functional knowledge that is applicable in everyday life," she said.
She explained that the challenge is to record the video material and package it "in a minute or two".
"And he is spontaneous, wonderful and very responsible. He even came to the high school, where I teach, to the classes of the chemistry section and fascinated the students present with his knowledge. On the Open Day, he was together with the high school students and one of the demonstrators. Bogdan is a really wonderful boy, sweet and interesting, with whom it is a pleasure to work", said Kljajić.
Provide students with better conditions for work and laboratory exercises
He believes that students are interested in science, but that it is necessary to provide them with good working conditions. He notes that the school content is extensive, and that it is necessary to work on adapting it to the needs and demands of the students.
“Being a high school chemistry teacher, I think our kids are interested in science. However, they should be provided with better conditions for work and laboratory exercises, and the teaching content should be reduced," she said.
Kljajić emphasizes that the Montenegrin education system has "too much theory and little practice".
"Not all students have the opportunity to attend additional classes or sections in natural sciences due to the large pool of weekly classes, and then we come to the problem that even if a child is interested in science, he cannot achieve everything," she said.
According to her, in order for children to love science from the very beginning, it is necessary to work from preschool age.
"Children should be introduced to the world of natural sciences in preschool age through experiments that are interesting to them, appropriate for their age, so that they understand the essence of what they have seen. In high school, we need to work on their further improvement, creativity and applicability of what they have learned", concluded Kljajić.
Bonus video:
