if you outlaw chemistry sets...

[acroyear]

...only outlaws will study chemistry in their spare time.

Seriously, this is ridiculous.  Guy has a home chemistry set-up, 'cause he was a chemist before retirement and like all career hobbyists he still likes to play, and some jack-ass lady decided, "I think Mr. Deeb has crossed a line somewhere.", and had it all confiscated and him arrested on trumped up charges of violating a zoning regulation.  He's free, they keep the kit.  All the chemicals "disposed of" even though nothing has been found to be any more dangerous than cleaning chemicals.

No, Ms. Wilderman, he didn't cross a line.

YOU crossed that line.

That line is called the 4th Amendment.

Evolving Thoughts: Only government approved labs can do experiments, see?:

Kids today have emasculated chemistry sets that do precisely nothing interesting. And if Mythbusters has taught us anything, it's that kids love explosions. That is the route to an educated population of science loving psychopaths. But we didn't turn out to be psychopaths, we turned out to be lovers of science. We have lost something important. If a frigging chemist, who knows how to work safely, cannot do science at home, the west can pretty well forget about the next few generations of kids ever learning anything useful.

Yeah - I'm waiting for the days that because of "hackers" (and the misappropriation of that term), they'll start to ban home-hobby programming, even though that's responsible for 75% of the open-source code out there running the internet and most of its server software today.

Comments

[fiona64.livejournal.com]

That is just unbelievable.

Oh, wait. No it isn't. Not in this era of "tattle on your neighbors if you're a patriot."

It is BS, absolutely.

[faireraven.livejournal.com]

Somebody arrest me.

When I was a kid I used to do all kinds of chemistry experiments with the cleaning products and other chemicals under the sink (how I managed to never create chlorine gas and accidentally kill myself, I'll never know).

I should turn myself in for creating a new form of hair tonic.

[fiona64.livejournal.com]

The winter that most of my little girlfriends were begging for Barbie as a Christmas gift, I wanted two things: a microscope and a chemistry set. I got the microscope from mom and dad, under the tree. My dad belonged to the carpentry union at the time and there was a big Christmas party each year. The kids got to choose one item from a huge array of toys, etc., and I chose the chemistry set from the "boy" side of the arrangement. I know there were a lot of whispers about *that,* because I heard them as I marched proudly back to my seat.

At the time I planned to be a veterinarian. I was 8 or so, I think. I believed strongly that I needed to have those two items if my studies were to prosper. Of course, the chem set was pretty harmless and consisted primarily of combining chemicals to create color changes, doing pH tests, etc. I had more fun with that, and my microscope (which is still at my folks' house) than the law should allow, I think.

Obviously I didn't become a veterinarian, but my interest in various sciences has never waned. Perhaps if more kids were given chem sets instead of PlayStations we would have a higher academic standing out in the world ...

[thatliardiego.livejournal.com]

Ah, so THAT explains the Jersey hair!

[faireraven.livejournal.com]

You ain't never seen real jersey hair, ain'tcha?

Be afraid. Be very afraid. The Pasco twins (yes, twins who did this) literally got six to twelve inches of loft over their foreheads on a daily basis.

I think they had stock in Aqua Net.

I shudder to think what doorways they must have clobbered with their hair, because they were fairly tall, too.

[thatliardiego.livejournal.com]

I went to Atlantic City one summer. ::shudders::

[tully-argyle.livejournal.com]

Yeah - I'm waiting for the days that because of "hackers" (and the misappropriation of that term), they'll start to ban home-hobby programming, even though that's responsible for 75% of the open-source code out there running the internet and most of its server software today.

I'm surprised this hasn't already happened, and earlier than even this chemistry crackdown. Because yeah, it's probably coming.

[blueeowyn.livejournal.com]

Esp. since there are large corporations in who would love to see Open Source go away so they can make more $$$ and we all know how much the government focuses on Big $$.

Add in how much easier it will be to spy on everyone if they have control of all the programs/software to put in their little 'features'.

[vvalkyri.livejournal.com]

Just to be devil's advocate,

Firefighters found more than 1,500 vials, jars, cans, bottles and boxes in the basement Tuesday afternoon, after they responded to an unrelated fire in an air conditioner on the second floor of the home.

Vessels of chemicals were all over the furniture and the floor, authorities said. The ensuing investigation involved a state hazardous materials team, fire and police officials, health officials, environmental officials and code enforcement officials. The Deebs were told to stay in a hotel while the slew of officials investigated and emptied the basement.

Emphasis mine.

I'm kinda seeing this as starting not so much with "I don't understand chemicals! Eek!" but instead "Holy shit, what if the fire had been less controlled -- what is down there?" Line not so much being "tinkerer vs scary mad scientist" but instead more analogous to the difference between having 4 or 20 cats.

:shrug: My dad would make roman candles when he was young. And I agree that the chemistry sets now are pretty stupid.