Maelo Cordova spends his day shaping Play-Doh, trying out Barbie makeup and racing Hot Wheels cars. Surprisingly, Cordova is not a kid. He's a chemist. At his job, he uses his knowledge of chemistry to make toys.
Cordova is one of thousands of chemists around the country who hopes to get kids interested in science. National Chemistry Week is October 16 through 22. All week, these scientists will talk about how chemistry is used in toy making.
As a kid in Puerto Rico, Cordova wondered what exactly is in shampoo that helps it clean hair. He also experimented--mixing cleaning products, for example, to get out spots.
In high school, Cordova discovered the name of his hobby, chemistry. He loved learning how substances combine to make new stuff. After winning a top science award, he studied chemistry in college. He now works at the Mattel toy company.
At work, Cordova mixes chemicals and performs experiments. But he does his homework first. "I like to spend time investigating what I'm looking for before I get in the lab," Cordova explains.
For one project, he was asked to make icky, sticky play slime. His recipe was a little off. The goo came out harder than he wanted, and he almost tossed it into the trash. Instead, he saved the substance and went on to earn a patent for flubber, his new invention. Says Cordova: "In science, you never throw anything away." His next mistake may turn out to be even more fun.