Mad Scientist Lore

A “mad scientist” is more or less one who concocts convoluted or mischevious plans or experiments in the name of science. He/she can be good or bad, and many “mad” scientists oftentimes don’t realize they’re a little off their rockers. Here are some famous mad scientists that have appeared in movies and stories throughout history.

• Dr. Frankenstein - The creator of the famous monster Frankenstein as a result of an attempted experiment to create life.


• Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde - A scientist who created a serum that allowed him to have two personalities: Dr. Jekyll was an upstanding, mild-mannered citizen but, when angered, turned into Mr. Hyde, a crazy, scary character who knew not his own actions.


• Emmett Brown, a.k.a. “Doc” - The eccentric scientist from the Back to the Future trilogy. Most people think he’s mad, but he’s actually not and his experiments and calculations turn out correct on many occasions.

Mad Scientist Birthday Ideas

The concept of the mad scientist is a huge hit among young children. If you’ve got a child who wants a mad scientist birthday, you’re not alone! Below are some suggestions to help kick off the festivities.

A chemistry set: A sure-to-be-hit, kid’s chemistry sets are available in many stores. Some even allow you to create potions you can eat (or drink). A chemistry set or two would be a great themed option for the party and would keep the kids entertained for hours!

Petri dishes with bugs: A fun themed accessory for your table setting. Buy clear plastic petri dishes and fill them with clear or yellow Jell-O. Pack them with gummi worms to make them look like a fun, edible science experiment.

Costumes: Put together some mad scientist costumes for the kids. Find some kid’s lab glasses, little bowties and name tags. You can get small test tubes to fill with goodies and, depending on your budget, child-sized lab coats might be a fun accessory too.