Well, my friend and I did some serious chemistry as teenagers. I had to learn that the lab equipment and materials we used is now listed under "controlled substances" in the US. My friend is now a tenured professor of chemistry, this also means that nowadays parents of guys like us would face an investigation by the DEA(or whatever applies in their country) or might not even get close to where we went. Our starting point was that the chemistry sets were not getting you to the fundamentals of chemistry. It is sometimes dangerous, but you learn as you go and a good public library (Internet wasn't invented yet) and small chemical burns help (you never put sodium in your palm more than once). I don't condone experiments with fluorine unless you really know what you are dealing with! We were very careful and had proper protection. No, we didn't try to make drugs, we tried to invent new polymers
When I was about a dozen years old, ca. 1959, I used to go to the pharmacy by myself and buy things like carbon tetrachloride (for bug collecting), and saltpeter and sulfur (for making gunpowder). The pharmacist never batted an eye.
The bad news is that chemistry sets have been watered down to nothing but the good news is that electronic project kits are now far better than they ever were before. They even include computer chips.
When I was young I got a small science kit, with no instructions... Anyway I messed around with this redish and bluish porous stuff, doing different combinations in separate tiny glass viles I don't remember what exactly I did but I put it away and came back to it the next day, and whatever fluid that had been there seemed to have evaporated despite the fact there was a cap on it, and the glass was pliable, slightly tougher than a wax earplug. I wish I knew what I did and also wish I still had it.
Glass is inert. There is literally no chemical reactions that could make it pliable. Flexible glass is achieved via layering thin sheets of glass. So that's slightly different
When I was young a nice elderly gentleman gave me a chem set from when he was a child. I can't remember everything that was in it but I do distinctly remember my parents removing a vial of mercury before they let me use it
I was twelve years old in Christmas 1967 when my folks gave me a chemistry set. It had everything, including test tubes, all sorts of chemicals with fascinating names, an electroplating kit, and an alcohol burner (EEEEKKKK!). It led to a lifelong interest in science for me. That was an era when kids were actively encouraged to explore science, rather than political correctness. A time when our country wanted physicists, chemists, etc. Instead of today: when all we produce are hedge fund managers, political commentators, and reality-TV stars.
zooeyhall Most importantly, we don't want to produce kids that know anything. Kids are supposed to be kept 'innocent' and 'innocent' is misunderstood to be identical to 'ignorant'. Most adults avoid thinking, instead feeling their way through life like naked mole rats. Their idea of 'child' is one of extreme incapacity and so they take extreme steps to keep children incapacitated. They've also idiotically extended the definition of 'child' to apply to adolescents and stubbornly insist on treating adolescents like toddlers.
zooeyhall Thank you Zooey. From a time when you could actually buy toys that taught kids how to think and be creative. Tinker Toys, Erector Sets, Lincoln Logs and chemistry sets etc.. Back when schooling was teaching the basics and how to use them in a productive manner instead of todays' system which isn't really even attempting to turn out viable social economic cannon fodder. Schools designed to turn out dumbed down, politically correct, imbeciles who are led to believe in all sort of antisocial and embrace destructive behavior as 'good' and/or 'an acceptable alternative lifestyle' thanks to progressive liberalism. Ah, but if a lie is repeated often enough, it becomes 'truth'.
***** Neither do I Cuch. We are different due to specific reasons of evolutionary adaptation to environmental pressures. It goes much deeper than just skin color. Not to say we can't get along. If people treat each other with mutual respect etc.. The problem being is that that is not the way most accept things, especially with governmental intrusion coming into play in it. The 'system' (idiotic so called 'ruling class') uses Hegelian Dialectics (look that up if you're not familiar) to its' advantage to push for control of the masses using people against themselves and most are simply too stupid to realize much less recognize it, adapt and overcome. Entropy is a term that expresses energy expenditure over time. Eventually entropy and time will win out. But not for several hundred billion trillion years. The entire universe will eventually become totally neutral and devoid of any energy whatever. But until then, environmental differences will exist and life (and matter/energy) will adapt to or form those environs. This is why we see so very many adaptations that life has taken, takes or will take. Life itself has changed this entire planet to suit itself. To increase its' odds of survival. Prejudism is a fundamental survival trait unique to all species and/or subclass of specie. Bigotry is most definitely not. Once this becomes a 'known', it can be dealt with. To become a 'homogeneous' species would mean that we would lose our 'adaptability'. Our variations are there for a purpose. Nature has designed us that way based on very powerful reasons and Nature, tho She can be toyed with for a while, will always win in the end. As we stand now, we are over do for a rude awakening due to our meddlesome ways. The signs are already strongly here and She will 'cull' us. No species is permanent. To include arrogant us. Be well
+zooeyhall The world needs both scientists and entrepreneurs. Many ingenious innovations never made it to the general public because it failed to launch.  We should be encouraging kids to explore themselves, know their talents, passions and dreams. Rather than dictating any one person based on their profession or what we would like them to be.
So, basically, "kids these days...!!!" What bollocks. I was 12 years old in Christmas 1992 and I played with all kinds of toys AND had a lifelong interest in science from, y'know, READING along with going to museums and watching science documentaries on TV. But don't let reality get in the way of you taking a swing at "political correctness," old codger. Whatever you imagine that to mean...
I got the Chem c3000 set for Christmas when I was 14. Absolutely brilliant chemistry set, complete with alcohol burner, test tubes and dozens of real chemicals which could be used in real experiments. Defiantly started my love for chemistry and science in general.
I remember my Cousin David's chemistry set back in 1965 had a Bunsen burner, too dangerous for 2016. Cousin Bob made gunpowder with his set. The burn marks stay on Aunt Violet's kitchen ceiling until his sister repainted the ceiling about forty years later.
The closest thing I got as a kid was crystal-growing kits. Find a stone, cover it in this paste you make with the kit, and let it sit in a solution you mix up from the same kit. When you're done, you have a rock covered in tiny salt crystals that look kind of neat but aren't very sturdy.
I received a chemistry set when I was 7 years old as a Christmas present and I loved it. I think that we sometimes forget that anyone that has access to a kitchen has their own chemistry set. I learned a great deal of chemistry from cooking and baking and so on in the kitchen. What kid hasn't poured baking soda into vinegar. As children we can learn science from seemingly commonplace locations.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU...... The First 40 seconds of Video is so true and indicative of EVERYTHING " NOW " vs " THEN ".... EVERYTHING EDUCATIONAL has been *CHEAPENED*
This is why I quit chemistry, very little was actually hands on and the safety measures for even the mildest materials were so severe it ripped all the fun out of it, changed to biology after the first year.
Is there any way to find out what happened to this? The link is no longer good. I homeschool a middle schooler so I'd like to see if they ever did anything with the project.
I love this way of getting sponsorship. Even though you're still basically advertising their product, it is clearly something you guys would support either way. I used to have a science kit when I was younger (still have it lying somewhere), and I really loved experimenting with stuff like that. I remember being fascinated by the bubbles that appeared to come from nowhere when I dipped a magnesium strip in water. Stuff like that just leaves a great impression to kids about science.
I am currently at the end of an MS in chemistry. It has become both my passion, my studies, and soon my work. And I got into it thanks to an old chemistry kit my parents bought me. So Clearly, I'll domy best to join the competition!
Dis takes me way bak,all i wanted one xmas,tape recorder,n chemistry set,i professor mode,da set mus of fell of a bak of a lorry,i made somthing up,started bubblin,i nearly burnt da house down,we ended up, needin a new carpet
I got my first chemistry set when I was 13 (1959) and had a great time doing all the experiments, and inventing some of my own. Years later I was working for Control Data Corporation and was in Princeton NJ and during a tour of the area ended up in Barrington NJ and saw the Edmunds Scientific Store. I had to stop and it was just like being a kid again. (I bought a chemistry set for my nephew).
I had a chemistry set that I bought second hand, I loved throwing copper sulphate into the fire to watch it turn the flames green. So fascinating. I also had a small anatomical model with removable plastic organs and a microscope set. I love my mother.
That's the general problem with "necessary gov't regulation" the politicians don't know what or why they are doing anything (except for popularity contests they are great at those), so when some group starts demanding action they get it and then they more than they wanted and then more to the absurd.
Exactly! I mean, I'm not saying we should be able to play around with plutonium or Azidoazide Azide, but we're not stupid, it's not like we'll just start drinking or eating everything! People these days just go overboard on safety.
I got a real chemistry set back in 2007... i ended up breaking all of the slides. BUT, i made up for it by buying one in 2010, and i still have it today!
I'm from Argentina, and studying biochemestry, luckily you can still find some really cool science kits here. And some of the most advanced ones come with a little oil burner. I have a niece, and tried buying her one of those "chem sets" that basically are just coloured water, and she loved it. Spent hours playing with it, cant wait for her to be old enough to get her a really good chem set.
Do you still have to meet the moronic safety standards? If you're only allowed to include things which are safe to consume by the gallon, you simply cannot make an interesting chemistry set, end of story.
+Dustin Rodriguez I guess definitely no food additives or even most essential vitamins and minerals found in foods even they are toxic at those sorts of levels in their pure extract form xD
And that is exactly the kind of thinking that will make this project fail. Unless you were being sarcastic, in which case shut up anyway, we don't want to encourage stupidity.
dustin fields It was precisely this freedom that enabled kids to learn the basics and inspired them. Yes - there was some collateral damage in terms of craters blown in back gardens... btu that ;s all part of experimentation..
This is an awesome use of sponsorship. I love that you're finding ways to keep this project financially viable without loosing sight of what's important. It's not selling out, it's buying in!
My parents used to talk about playing with the mercury from their chemistry sets (yikes!), but they still remembered them fondly. Alas, as a child of the 80s/90s, I didn't get one. Glad you're working to help bring them back!
*JESUS* ....1:02 " Just because they wanted to learn about the world, NOT because they had an exam to pass "! Yup... This is because back then there wasn't Smart Phones, FB, SnapChat...
Getting to play with chemistry is what makes it interesting. Like one lab I got to do in high school. We had extra days, so the teacher let us do something she saw online. You take some slides, put some drops of solution on the slide, and drop some metal in. Then you watch the reaction happen under a microscope. It was fascinating to see lead get eaten away and branches of silver grow in their place. It was fun, and it showed a great example of single displacement reactions.
I had a chemistry set when I was a kid. I once turned a glass of water blue and then turned that blue water pink. That pretty much sums up my experience with chemistry sets.
This video has entirely sold me on the subbable method of keeping Sci-show and such channels going. I mean, it was a sponsored, basically advertising episode... that remained engaging for me. I'm impressed. And very happy with Hank. =)
When I was a kid, my school had this computer program called Crocodile Chemistry. Seriously, putting potassium in boiling acid on that thing and turning the speakers up as loud as possible on that thing WAS MY JAM!
I had a chemistry set when I was a kid. Didn't use it much though. I also had an ... electronics set? I guess you would call it that. It was a board with a bunch of resistors, transistors, capacitors, leds, a motor, a bell, a solenoid, a potentiometer, and a few other things all connected to little springs sticking out of the board. It came with a bunch of wires, and you put the ends of the wires in the springs to connect the bits together to make it do things. I learned a lot from that thing ^^
I usually shy away from channels that are paid for buy a company or interest group but this is for a good cause. If you ever start promoting audio books I will leave and never come back. I was never into chemistry when I was younger, I loved electronics and had one of those 101 piece electronics kit with springs to add in the wires. Best present my parents ever got me.
In the 50/60s I received a monthly series of physics and electronics kits. It started with simple electricity, advanced to a two-tube series of amplifiers (before transistors, this was), then into optics and atomic physics. I think there were, perhaps, 16 sets in the series. Among other things, it taught the art of soldering.
I had a decent chemistry set in the '60's. I learned a lot. The local drug store ("chemist shop" to you who don't speak correct American) had chemicals and supplies to add to and replace chemicals used. I learned six or seven ways to fail to make gunpowder, though I did learn how to make big flares of sparks, and was able to burn through a 3/4" plywood table. Plus, we could get relatively strong acids and bases. I learned quite quickly to respect them!
Absolutely encourage her! That kid was me when I was her age, and I just graduated with a first class BA in Zoology (old universities here are weird, they give BAs in sciences). I'd also recommend books like Horrible Science as well to keep her going when she can't break out the chemistry sets and stuff.
I was more a book kid when I was a kid, but I really hope they can give back that experience of discovery to a new generation of kids with reimagined chem sets.
I had some chem sets when I was younger that were tame, but they did some cool stuff. One was basically a really tiny thermite reaction, which was awesome backyard fun!
I remember having a chem set when i was about five. i remember one little activity in particular that basically helped me make rock candy. i've loved rock candy and chemistry ever since.
Science toys are really important, because no matter what else you learn from them, you learn two really important things - that science is interesting, and that you can do science!
These sets were all the rage with 12-17 year olds back in the 60's. I remember my cousin and myself doing all sorts of experiments--with some hairy results. Like setting fire to a tree and destroying a rose bush with a cloud of acrid white smoke. But we (and many other boys) managed to survive. My cousin became a PhD in pharmacology. I became a chemical engineer.
I used to grow salt and sugar crystals from saturated solutions, use red cabbage juice as a pH indicator, use vinegar to dissolve the shells of boiled eggs, which I then pushed whole into bottles using air pressure. I think I did lemon batteries with coins and LEDs as well.
Cool! I always wanted a chemistry set when i was a kid, and could never find one. Couldn't find one for my little brother when i got older either. Thanks for trying to bring them back.
I definitely appreciate the chemistry set that I had as a small boy. I got into a little trouble, but nothing serious, with it and, in the process, learned a vast appreciation for how everything around us is chemically constructed. I believe that the eventual loss of this valuable tool, in the name of 'protecting our kids,' has actually backfired against us.
I really like how Hank is finally in a position where he can throw his weight around and feel OK doing so; Now to get a better job so that I can buy all this great stuff I want now; maybe that can be the theme of the next channel?
I was lucky enough to hit the sweet spot of chemistry sets back in the late '50's-early-60's. I was also able to buy some pretty toxic stuff by mail order (concentrated acids, etc) so that I could do real experiments at home. Taught myself chemistry from a High School textbook. Of course I blew up some stuff too. :) When I took the Chemistry SAT (before taking an official chemistry course), I got a 784. Got me into a good school.
The chemistry set I had as a kid in the mid 90s had fixins to make gun powder. They didn't SAY you could do that but Charcoal, sulpher and saltpeter were some of the included vials. Just needed to grind up the big chunks combine in correct proportions and voila!
I was so sad that I couldn't find a good chemistry set nowadays. Basically, I had one as a kid, but cleaned up my "toys" before I left for University. Then I took Chemical Engineering. After which, I realized that I could finally truly understand and enjoy the reactions, but that you just couldn't find those sets anymore. Good luck getting them back in circulation!
I would love for the children that I have in the future to grow up with science and chemistry sets would be an amazing way to teach them. It's a shame that government regulations have prevented kids from growing up with such an interesting and engaging resource.
Okay, So I have some ideas, but I'm not allowed to enter, so I'm just gonna put them here in case someone wants to try winning with it, I don't want any money for it, just a name drop as a minor coopoerator would be nice, but not needed. So: 1: A decay chamber: a stick of an americium alloy with a half life enough for about 5-10 alpha particles to be generated per second. This starts kids up with quantum science! It can be expanded by adding a proton rich isotope for beta plus decay, a neutron rich core for beta decay. and a magnetic field for seeing deflection, and seeing different charges. This helps teach about how moving charge makes a magnetic field. 2: Titrations: A mini burette, clamp, conical flask, and maybe a plastic volumetric pippette and a mini pocket scale - This teaches about how things dissolve, how they react, the indicators and acids and bases can be toyed with a bit. This could even be expanded into insoluble bases, and so buffer solutions (thanks Hank!) 3. Flame tests: Different metal ions give a different colour in a flame. Why not give them metal salts and a metal loop, or a small spray bottle (breath spray size) So they can dissolve them and see what it looks like. This can be done on a butane bunsen burner - something I do not know if it even exists- which is essentially a normal lighter, but made to be a jet flame (common now) this could be made into the format for a bunsen burner by making the nozzle face up and giving it a cuff to control the oxygen it gets, and so the color and heat of the flame. No gas taps needed, and could have a pizoelectric crystal inside so you don't need matches. 4: Make your on crystal molecules: We've all made crystals before, right? I've done it with table salt and food coloring, lacking any other crystals. Why not go one step further than giving them copper sulphate? Anhydrous copper sulphate, or even copper hydroxide and sulphuric acid crystals can be supplied and part of it can be to react them and put them in an evaporating dish. This can let kids see waters of crystalisation, crystal structure, different crystal colours without food colouring. It is imperative it is explained in a way they can understand it, but properly explained, rather than "oh, adding baking power to vinegar produces CO2!" The acid type and structure has been lft out for so long, the logic and simplicity behind it has been lost to sensationalism. In case you were curious, I cannot enter because I am too young (16) and living in the UK.
I had a Chemistry set when I was a boy in 1993. It included various salts and metals. Acids, well they wanted you to use spirit vinegar, but i reckoned that battery acid would be better. I had ready access to the stuff because of my dad's work with 12v car batteries.
I fondly remember the chemistry sets I had as a child in the 60's (especially the stuff that burned). Even so, I think that a really, really good computer simulation will pay off much better in the long run. Give the kids a small set to establish the tactile experience of using chem equipment, but then move on to the virtual chemistry set. Yes, yes, a sim is not as good as the same thing in the real world, but inside the matrix kids can blow stuff up, easily tweak & repeat, and zoom in on atoms.
Another idea for a scishow episode: Black holes, singularities, and their (theoretical) effects on spacetime."Black holes have no hair"; spinning black holes and time travel; the role of negative matter in holding open a stable wormhole... the evaporation of black holes; use of black holes as an energy source. Lots of interesting topics in that area... Though, I also want to see the diet soda study. Almost every "soda is evil" article focuses on the sugar - how bad is it without the sugar?
I had a Sears chemcraft set when I was 10. Been doing chemistry ever since. It was an older set that came with a real sample of radium too. Not possible today but no big deal at the time. I also had a wrist watch with radium coated numbers and hands that I wore every day! Making smoke bombs gave my mom fits.
Ah...I'll never forget my first exciting chemistry experiment with my set: I got a bit bored with the chemicals supplied, so I thought I'd fool around with some of that "granular chlorine" from the swimming pool. I don't know why, but I put some in a jar lid, and poured some glycerin on it. Nothing much seemed to happen, so I put the lid back on the jar, and about 30 seconds later, BOOM!! My dad came running down the basement stairs to find out what I had blown up!
Honestly, it should be more than just a chemistry kit. Instead, there should be an entire line of science and engineering kits geared towards kids that can interconnect lessons and projects to give kids a much broader understanding of the connectivity of science. Engineering, astronomy, physic, chemistry and biology coming together in a kid-friendly and fun way. That would be ideal.
I had an encyclopaedia of science, engineering and technology as a kid that I pored over, learning everything I could. When I got various kits I was over the moon, made a terrible mess and learned a great deal, nothing of great practical use but basics that extended the interest. I think there needs to be a follow up to these things, educationally as the interest in them at school dropped away because it started with what seemed to be steps backward. Crash course and other open learning maybe?
Buy a chem set in Mexico. I remember mine from back in the 90's, you could burn your face from the exothermic reactions BUT IT WAS FUN. It also taught me to be careful and that some toys must be handled with care. Useful lessons for later on when I found myself in working in a microbiology lab, driving a car, or cleaning stains from my shirts.
I had a killer chemistry set as a kid. It came with 20 or so chemicals, mostly harmless stuff, but a few that could go wrong in rare cases, like the potassium ferrocyanide. The test tubes were plastic non-sense so my parents bought some nice glass tubes and beakers at the Chem-Shop (now Hi Valley Chemical). Never did use up all the chemicals, so I ended up gifting the kit to a kid down the street.
I wish there were still chemistry sets! My dad is an organic chemist, so I've known about chemistry since I was little, and when I went into 7th grade I was excited to learn chemistry in school. But apparently all chemicals are too dangerous, so the only experiments we did were virtual ones on the smartboard.
As Bob Hope would sing, "Thank you for the memories." I had a chemistry set & telescope but the thing that got me into trouble was the microscope. I brought all sorts of things home to look at. Do you know what happens when you bring a hundred or so frog eggs home just before leaving on 2 week vacation? I survived mom's reaction. Dad nearly died laughing. My little brother thought I was the coolest big brother on the planet. Those 3 "toys" changed my universe.
I would think to follow the rule "everything in moderation" and to think of any type of soda as a treat, but I agree. Great idea for a future SciShow. :)
My parents got me a chemistry set when I was a kid. As I was reading the "recipes" I realized I didn't have enough chemicals to make all the cool stuff. I ended up using pretty much everything to make ink (which was still alright). But as I ran down the stairs to see how well my ink worked I spilled all of it on the carpet (still stained to this day). I think that totally stole any interest I had in chemistry.
I would get all yell-y about the dumbing down of chemistry kits but as a kid, the first thing I did was to take the two chemicals it specifically said in BOLD LETTERS to NEVER MIX and mix them. It melted a hole through the concrete driveway. So yeah, pretty awesome.
I think this is a fantastic idea. People are becoming too touch-screen dependant, and anyway to draw kids to more hands-on activities (especially a chemistry set) is only going to be beneficial.
I picked up a set at a Thrift shop a while ago. Instead of bulk chemicals, it used, IIRC, chemical-impregnated strips. Hence, "real" chemicals, but in very small amounts!
