Do you ever long for the upright ol’ days ? When a rickety schoolhouse desk was enough to protect you from a nuclear blast , and alchemy readiness contained real ( read : venomous ) chemicals ?
The first half of the 20th hundred was the golden age of children ’s chemistry sets . “ By the 1920s and 30 , ” writes BBC ’s Alex Hudsen inthis exposeon the fade of the basic chem solidifying , “ tiddler had admittance to substances which would lift brow in today ’s more safety - witting times . ”
What kind of chemicals are we talking here ? Oh , you live , the usual . Radioactive kernel like U junk ( evidently this was a hit in “ nuclear ” kit marketed in the 1950s ) ; chemicals for making gun pulverization , like atomic number 19 nitrate ; and , of course , atomic number 11 cyanide — one of the most apace acting toxin know to humanity .
Are these chemicals dangerous ? Absolutely . But that , say scientists who grow up experimenting with these honest-to-god outfit , is no excuse to drag down science education . Today ’s kit , often hobble by wellness and prophylactic regulations , kind of sucking . “ Some of the enceinte marketer recently have included one capable of making edible institution tied to film enfranchisement , ” pen Hudson , “ and a perfume kit aimed at girls … These kits are not capable of the experiments of old . ”
So how do you reunify tiddler with more interesting ( if potentially dangerous ) chemic experimentation ? Promoting good experimentation , saysJudith Hackitt , Chair of the UK ’s Health and Safety Commission , is key :
For science to move off from practical experiments because they are seen as dangerous , she believe , is a mistake .
“ Yes they are safe . Are there some peril associated with them ? Yes , but of a very small-scale nature . The whole estimate of them is you get word from handling material materials , ” she says .
translate glory days of tike ’ chemistry sets at BBC . Want to build your own kickass interpersonal chemistry hardening ? Check outthis nifty guidebook to set up your own , courtesy of the folks at MAKE .
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