A stroll through the past via the chemistry set

[Warpy]

http://www.pbs.org/kcet/wiredscience/video/82-dangerous_science.html

It's a longish video that goes through the history of the kiddie chemistry set from about the 1950s through today and links the lack of actual chemistry in the modern sets with the decline of interest in science.

Mine was a Gilbert, red steel case, enough reagents for a lot of good stinks and a few amateur fireworks.

[Duer 157099]

1. Cool! So that's what Bob Lazar looks like!

I have to admit that I love chemistry, and I also had those dorky sets when I was a kid.

interesting link about Lazar:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Lazar

[Orsino]

6. Lazar is no physicist.

His history is fascinating--particularly the UFO stuff--but it's clear that he is (or was) a fraud.

[wtmusic]

2. I had the Gilbert one too

The new ones suck. I bought my son one that supposedly had 200 experiments which basically turned out to be variations on 40 experiments with variations, and the "experiments" were stupid craft exercises like making disappearing ink, etc.

There used to be a science store nearby that still sold the real thing -- alcohol lamps, and real chemicals that could get you in real trouble :evilgrin: (you had to actually sign a waiver to buy it). Then the owner died and the store went out of business.

[The_Casual_Observer]

3. I had the Lionel one. Got it with Blue Chip Stamps.

[wtmusic]

4. You can buy a chunk of uranium from the company featured in the vid.

Amazing website.

http://www.unitednuclear.com/

[Duppers]

5. holy cats! wonder if the feds are tracking this site, its users, & buyers?

Snort.

I love their funny gif...

[wtmusic]

7. That dude is a freaking terrorist.

Bet he's having problems fitting in at Gitmo.

[Igel]

8. Thanks for the post.

We've been planning to home school our kid(s), and one very real concern I've had is how to do experiments, esp. chemistry experiments. I've looked for chemistry sets these days and didn't find any; I can't call the things they have for sale "chemistry sets" with a good conscience.

Mine was light blue. Don't remember the maker. 1960s.

Good to know there are suppliers out there. The prices aren't too horrendous, either.

[kestrel91316]

9. My sister and I had a chemistry set. It must have made more of an

impression on her.........she became a whiz-bang pharmacist after aceing all her chem courses in college.

I was more impressed by the microscope set with the pickled critters to dissect and the cool slides of bugs and such. When I discovered the "animalcules" in stagnant water I was in heaven. I got my undergraduate degree in, of all things, microbiology, lol.

[TZ]

10. Hmm I dunno

My older sister had a chemistry set, a microscope, a telescope, a rock polisher, the invisible woman and I had none of those but I'm the one who went into science.
Go figure.