Re: Why Kids Aren't Much Interested In Science Careers
- From: rally2xs@xxxxxxx
- Date: 31 May 2006 09:23:00 -0700
coco wrote:
Dave Head wrote:
On Tue, 30 May 2006 22:26:27 -0700, Littleguy <Littleguy@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Tue, 30 May 2006 22:42:27 GMT, Dave Head <rally2xs@xxxxxxx> wrote:
Well, this could be _one_ of the reasons:
http://wired.com/wired/archive/14.06/chemistry.html
Basically, the safety Nazis and the suers have made chemistry an unattainable
recreation / hobby for the kids nowadays. Whereas some of us as kids were able
to get the Gilbert chemistry sets, and others, and see what happens when you
mix this with that, and figure out what oxidizers do, the Feds in pursuit of
absolutely everyone that could do absolutely anything harmful with a chemical,
combined with parents who will sue the school system if Johnny burns a finger
on a bunsen burner, have pretty much chased chemistry class out of the school
system, as well as home experimentation out of the garage. Result: Kids don't
get interested in science in the numbers that they used to.
You can still purchase vinegar and baking soda over the counter.
Yeah, and so much worse when the kids are messing around with household
chemicals where they can _really_ get hurt. But, as I said in another post,
that mixing of _unusual_ things like powdered iron and chromium chlorate is
what the wonder is all about. Household chemicals don't hold the mystery, plus
you get some bleach and some drain cleaners together and the kids can gas
themselves with a WW I war gas - chlorine. Plus, after you get the CO2 release
with the vinegar and baking soda, what's next? All those strange chemicals in
a regular chemistry set were good for hours, day after day, of trying to figure
out what happens when you mix this with that, never having to repeat the same
thing twice. Then you could start all over again with doing the same things,
and heating them with the little alcohol lamp.
Dave Head
You have taken organic Chemistry I am sure!
No, actually, the initial interest in science that I had was
facilitated (not launched - I was _always_ interested in science - I
was born in 1947, and mostly the only 50's movies I remember are the
sci-fi's - I remember seeing The Day The Earth Stood Still in the
theater, and I was 4 yrs old...) rather petered out and I became really
interested in electronics. After that, software... But nowhere did I
pick up inorganic.
I remember our Organic
Chem teacher telling us how grad students use to dump chemicals in the
trough between the working tables! Anyway about 3 dumped in a matter
of minutes! Got a very rapid reaction releasing Cyanide Gas! A couple
did not make it out of the Lab!
OOohhh... bad juju! Dead or rescued?
Dave Head
.
- References:
- Why Kids Aren't Much Interested In Science Careers
- From: Dave Head
- Re: Why Kids Aren't Much Interested In Science Careers
- From: Littleguy
- Re: Why Kids Aren't Much Interested In Science Careers
- From: Dave Head
- Re: Why Kids Aren't Much Interested In Science Careers
- From: coco
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