A retrospective and Q&A on the cubane series. Merch (cubane shirts!): explosionsandfire.shop/ Subreddit: / explosionsandfire Join the Discord!! / discord Patreon: / explosionsandfire
Mate, I've followed your growth from young boy with braces messing about in his shed to fully grown moustachioed man, messing about in his shed. I'm very proud.
We choose to make the Cube... We choose to make the Cube in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win, and the others, too
Other youtube chemists: Showcases each reaction, uses state of the art materials, gets a nice product, done in one video. Simple tidy and clean. Tom: Has a long series doing the reaction and a "Making of" documentary on it, and does a great job showcasing the ideal reaction versus trying to get it to actually work without highly specialized materials.
Watching you struggle angrily with chemistry I don't understand has been absolutely fascinating... I learned literally nothing other than "tar is bad" and "yellow = tar"
Congrats on the PhD! I’m excited to see what’s next. I have a possibly interesting/terrible (your pick) suggestion: grab a kids chemistry set, a good one assuming they still make those, and see how off-script you can go with only what is included.
I had a chemistry set in 1976. I purchased one in 2005 for one of the neighbor's kid. I was sorely disappointed. We made gunpowder from scratch instead - then made a few mediocre bottle rockets. I'm not sure you can do much of anything interesting from the modern neutered kits.
The ones that are still on the market are pretty lame, with big skull and bones warning signs on a small bottle of vinegar. It's uncanny how far standards have dropped in just a few decades.
I'm a PhD student in the group of Ben Feringa (photoswitches and molecular motors, nobel prize 2016) and photoswitchable explosive sounds like a dream project. would love to hear how you envision that ahahaha but I think some of our motor intermediates should be explosive :)
Just bought the T-shirt, I had so much fun watching you during this project mate! Thank you for your endurance when faced with enemies as terrible as Tar and UV-reactions:)
I had fun making it, although I think I was nearly at my limit of making videos about the UV step… if we hadn’t got it working when we did (finally!) I’m not sure how many more failure videos I could’ve made before finally cracking haha
Good thing that even your "failure" videos are very entertaining haha Ive already met 3 people at my first job that know of this series, maybe ill get to know some more now with the shirt :)@@ExtractionsAndIre
You started your cubane series before I even started my chemistry degree and I'm now half way through my masters degree specialising in synthetic organic, and have done some research projects in energetic material chemistry - you were my biggest inspiraiton when I was younger and it's great to see you finished the synthesis. Your point of being punished if you fuck up a multi-step syntheses, definitely relatable as someone who's working on a total synthesis project. As well, one thing about columns is that imo it's best to avoid them when you can because the amount of solvent needed to do an effective column is ridiculous, especially if you want to column say, 1g of material (1g of material for me will consume around 600 mL of solvent). Sure, for the compounds in this series, all you'd ever need would be petrol and ethyl acetate but it's still (like you said) not great timewise, especially for a home setup.
Here's a suggestion from a fellow chemist: do some carbohydrate chemistry. The starting materials are dirt cheap, the chemistry itself often makes you want to cry but it's doable in a shed, and you will have to get good at column chromatography 😂 I've just finished my PhD so thanks for coming on this fun suffering journey with me in the last few years ❤️
I think as a fellow hard core tinkerer, I enjoy your videos are fun because of the bodge factor that is required to get the job done when don't really have the proper materials or equipment or materials. Chemistry really isn't my thing but it is still enjoyable watching the frustrating process of working with what you have. Well done.
I'll be honest, during the UV part of the suffering and re-evaluating I thought this series might just die a quiet death but I am really happy for you that you got there in the end Tom, you put in way more time and effort than I ever expected and you even replied to one of my comments in a smart and funny manner. So for that, thank you for all of the entertainment and persistence, congratulations!
A friend of mine very unexpectedly passed away earlier this year, and the day before the funeral we were all sad AF. Then I discovered my deceased friend's best friend's partner is a CSIRO chemist who watches your videos, so then we were all sad AF while talking about cubane. Thank you for bringing a little comfort into the lives of grieving strangers. ♥
I love the casual Hamilton Morris in the acknowledgements without any descriptor. Hamilton's rad man, glad he was a part of it too (even if we can only guess the actual manner of help he gave 😅). Love this series, it might need to be a thing I rewatch every few years to set my expectations in the lab back to reasonable levels. Thanks Tom!
Great work fella, I know next to 0 about the chemistry field but have been watching the whole series for these three years. somehow you can make it that interesting without me being about to understand 95% of whats going on
I personally like that this was a long series. It really shows that real chemistry isn't like the perfect showcase science the public sees - it's messy, confusing, often headache and yellow chemical producing, with many ways where things can be improved on in the future and more things to try to mess up on. That and as the longer the series was, the more us non-science plebs learned. Don't let the time investment daunt you. Even if it's only a 2 or 3 episode series, it's still really interesting.
5:35 this azide is exactly one of the reactions that I've been doing for my thesis! Although I did it to create a sulfonamide bond within the PROTAC that I was working on. In the end the coupling didin't happen though... So that step was a failure. By the way, be carefull with NaN3. It's not healthy.......
tom is one of the most entertaining chemist on youtube. i love the way he adds humor to a science most people find boring. he is both an educator and entertainer.i can't wait to see what the future holds.
Thank you for this awesome series! And congrats on finally getting some cubane! 🎉🎉🎉 I hope we get more -suffering captured on video- cool chemistry soon!
now time to binge the 5 hour video instead of doing my work haha thanks for sticking through with this and finishing multiple milestones in the process ! congrats
If you are looking for something achievable with a really cool end product: there are tetrazole based energetic ionic liquids. Ionic liquids look and behave really weirdly because we aren't super used to seeing liquid salts at room temperature. They also exist in a wide range of categories from mildly energetic, through stuff usable as monopropellants up to primaries.
Honestly this series was super inspiring for me. I am also someone who has a tendency to get myself involved in things without having any idea how hard it'll actually be and I can easily go way above my capabilities. So this series has kinda reassured me that it's okay to do this and the reception to the series has showed me that honestly this is sometimes a good thing to do. At the same time I'm also a perfectionist and someone who is usually really good at science subjects so I can take it sorta hard when I fuck up and this series has also helped reassure me that this stuff is just hard and it's okay to mess up and that's just part of the process, and when you do fuck up there'll usually be someone there to help you. It's especially the community reception that's inspired and reassured you, the entirety of chemistry youtube came together around this series exactly because you were having a hard time, not in spite of it. Instead of looking down on you the entire community coalesced around finding it interesting and it became a collective effort to try to solve the issues, it's really an example of science at its best. Instead of saying “hah you're stupid for not being able to do it” it became “oh wow it's weird that you couldn't do it, now I'm curious about solving this problem too”.
It's amazing to reflect on how much my life has changed over the course of this series, from struggling at uni, to being offered a job as an explosive ordnance and guided weapons engineer, this channel and it's videos have definitely been a strong part in it all.
I really, really enjoyed binge watching your series. But it begs the question. Why? I know absolutely nothing about chemistry other than some basic concepts that any teen would know, yet I spent 6 hrs of my life engrossed in a topic I 100% do not understand. You're fucking funny. Plus I can pick up lingo to sound smart. Shit like "Hey man, do you know where I can get hexanes?" People will invariably say, "What? I have never heard of that." I can then patronizingly explain that it's a fraction of gasoline...blah blah". So keep them coming Nerd Boy. Hahaha. Thanks for the great series man. So enjoyable. All your videos are. Chris
Hey Tom, the cubane series has been hugely inspirational to me as an undergrad. A lot of the chemistry experience on youtube is highly curated. where people only show their successes. Your vids are sweet because you make mistakes and talk about them. Its honestly refreshing and it adds a charm to it that a lot of other chemistry content doesn't have. Keep doing what you're doing. cheers from across the ditch!
Enjoy the victory lap! Please continue to share the struggle. Maybe it’s a trick of editing, skill in narration, self imposed constraints, or the interaction with your community, your videos communicate the process of snatching success from the jaws of defeat.
The length of this series is sorta mind boggling to me, especially when I look back at my life over the span of it. I had a gender identity crisis, graduated highschool, started college, got a job and dropped out of college, left that job and re-enrolled, and came out as trans and I can remember watching these videos for basically that whole time. Congrats Tom on finishing it. Can't wait to see how much life changes over the duration of your next long series.
This series was so cool and impressive, and your determination through all the trials and tribulations made for a gripping story. I can't wait to see the next one!
Ohhhhh the super directors cut of 5 hours! :D definitely going to watch it, you always make me happy and relaxed, showing the stuff you do I know nothing about, but find fascinating. Thank you soooo much for this series!
I have been watching the Cubane series as something to listen to in the background while I work in the lab. It’s really nice to get excited about chemistry again! I’m a biology grad, working in R&D. Inspiring me to brush off my chemistry knowledge and get cracking on home experiments:)
@@petevenuti7355 🤔🤔🤔 Hmm... I suppose it *_could be_* I Did A Thing, if he was intentionally altering his voice a smidge. _[in addition to the added reverb]_ (I prefer to refer to him as GIANT Saw Blade Bey-Blade Dude heh)
Dr Tom, I have gone from No Idea through to YELLOW IS BAD! - this has been an epic learning experience. Please, please, please do more epics of this nature. Children have become Men. Men have become Angry Old Men and Woman continue to say "meh" throughout. I am waiting to see the OAM granted for this series!
such a cool series man, watched every bit. so inspiring. 18:12 - this is the only way I've learned to wallpaper over my ADHD and actually get things done, I'm not successful very often yet so it's really inspiring to see it work so well for someone. three years dude! congrats!
I've studied fine arts, did a master in drawing, currently doing a PhD in arts and history. I have non to little knowledge if chemistry and still I enjoy your videos and somehow understand what u are doing! Congratulations on finishing the Cubane series and lots of luck with future projects!
Fuck these videos have been good, it's been an honour serving with you (and by serving with you I mean watching you while being thankful I chose chem eng where the most complex chemistry is making things hot)
lol in the time it took for this series to finish I started and then finished my undergrad in chemistry, very fun seeing something from lectures actually used in real life :)
I've watched your videos since high school and now am halfway to getting a BS in Chemistry at college. Your videos have not just warped my sense of humor irreversibly but also inspired me in caring about my studies.
Something I have always found interesting and think fits perfectly for the style/aesthetic of your channel, microwave chemisty like the strontium extraction, but would love to see you do some more of it.
Best chemistry channel on youtube, sure you don't always have the best yield or purity but i just live your videos, i keep watching them again and again 😂. Thank you for the awesome cubane series
God I love this channel. Epic journey through suffering, and failure. Man this is the good stuff, keep on doing what you do, I for one will always be watching.🔬👍
It's funny, I just found tour channel, found the second, channel, saw that you had a long term project, watched the whole playlist, and like 2 days later you release the the final video. Im hooked though.
You making cubane inspired me to do my bachelor's in chemistry actually. Finishing up this year. Going to be applying yo PhD programs later this year. You've been such a huge inspiration man ❤
Congratulations, mate, for finally coming to the end of this series, for the EPIC amount of editing that it must have taken to merge all of the episodes into one almost 6-hour long epic and for making it all the way through your Ph.D! 🎉🎊🎉🎊🎉🎊
These videos have been a highlight over the last couple years and I’m more sad than I’d like to admit that it’s over. Still the tee shirt will make a great memory. Cheers Tom!
Mr Expulsions & Iron, I have watched since the beginning of cubane. Congrats on finishind and on your PhD! Hopefully now you're a big enough boy to tackle uranium chemistry! Much love :D
Like when the 4 yr of university ends and so ends the relationship which i didn't want to end. It was stressful and painful but still didn't wanted to end.
Its been a great watch from start to finish mate and even though it took some time, It was always well worth the wait! Its always nice to finish something off and complete it, So sir i tip my hat to you! Cant wait for the next saga of fighting inner chemistry demons!
Good to hear your columns in undergrad were pleasant. Mine was shit and me and a labmate found a better solvent ratio which has now made its way into the official procedure for future undergrads.
