Illustrated Guide To Home Chemistry Experiments

ptorrone writes "The sad fact is chemistry and chemistry sets have been on the decline for the last couple decades. All is not lost, however. We (MAKE magazine) have a new book called The Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments. Learn how to smelt copper, purify alcohol, synthesize rayon, test for drugs and poisons, and much more. In this video, Bob the chemist shows how to get around a pesky DEA regulation so you can make your own iodine. GeekDad also reviewed the book."

Busted

[Thelasko]

As some have mentioned you run a risk of being targeted as a terrorist by your local law enforcement if they discover such a lab in one's posession.

However, I think one is far more likely local law enforcement will suspect production of methamphetamine.

Re:Busted

[Thelasko]

I would also like to add that not only has the ban, illicit production, and enforcement ruined the chemistry set for millions of people. It has also destroyed the ability to get inexpensive allergy medication with a built in decongestant. For example, Loratadine [wikipedia.org] (claritin) is sold at Wal-Mart for $4 for a 30 day supply. For those of us who require a decongestant, it's 2-4 times more expensive to get a measly 10 day supply of Loratadine-D (Claritin-D), and you have to sign over your soul to get it.

Re:Slashvertisment or honest publicity?

[scubamage]

I agree its kind of a slashvertisement, but honestly I'd prefer to see everyone on /. know about this book before its completely illegal to practice any form of chemistry. I can only imagine that home chemistry kits will soon be as illegal as they were just before the revolution in pre-Bolshevek Russia. Because, you know, we have to protect the children and homeland security from the terrorists.

Re:Slashvertisment or honest publicity?

[nuttycom]

Agreed; that's why I ordered my copy today. My daughter's just a year old right now, but by the time she's old enough to appreciate a book like this I expect it'll be next to impossible to find, sadly.

Re:Just remember to use cash.

[smellsofbikes]

While there are still brick-and-mortar stores, there is still barter. The problem arises when amazon has displaced all the local stores and cash is simply not viable. (Turns out amazon sells chem glassware: who knew?)

Re:Just remember to use cash.

[hiryuu]

But isn't it fun to see how many different aliases you can get onto the watch list?

Not for those of us who have very common names, of the type that are more frequently used to "assemble" an alias. My birth name is one of the most common in the US - not quite on the order of "John Smith," but pretty close - and this unfortunate bit has landed me on the TSA no-fly list for most of the last year, among other bits of fun.

Back on topic, I'm a chemist by profession, and I always find things like this cool as all hell. I remember the chemistry sets of yore, including some of the "antique" sets used by my father and a a few of his younger uncles, and the progression over the years of what can be done with what's available to the layman has become increasingly disappointing. What's the likelihood that any modern set would ever come with a distillation column?

Good tools and decent, interesting references must be available to help get people (especially kids!) excited about, interested in, and practicing hard sciences. I know I'm not saying anything new to lots of people around here, but dammit, I'm gonna say it anyway.

Re:Just remember to use cash.

[neomunk]

This will not happen until there is a way found to make electronic transactions safe for black market use. Drug dealing, gun dealing and the sale of various other contraband has been a large source of income for those that pull the strings of government for a very long time. This massive source of income isn't easy to just give up, even when balanced by the prospect of the economic panopticon.

Re:Only until..

[philspear]

How come every single biology article, even the recent one about discovery of 120,000 year old bacteria, gets tagged "whatcouldpossiblygowrong" but books that tell kids how to "Purify alcohol by distillation, Produce hydrogen and oxygen gas by electrolysis, Smelt metallic copper from copper ore you make yourself" doesn't?

There are billions of much more highly evolved bacteria in you right now than what scientists dug up. On the other hand, my next door neighbors can't cook bacon without the whole place filling up with smoke, if they tried to purify their own alchohol, I'm quite certain they would die of methanol poisoning, blow up the building, or both simultaneously. And then homeland security would arrive just in time to arrest me.

I guess it comes down to Hollywood has never made a movie about the potential dangers of home copper smelting.

Re:Just remember to use cash.

[Grishnakh]

It's been a large source of income for the government itself, too. Remember, the CIA was caught selling cocaine a while ago.

Re:Excellent idea

[conureman]

I always recommend 'Fortunes in Formulas'. It's got some zany old time recipes. BTW unless you have a stable against the side of your house, that white efflorescence in your basement isn't what you want. Look under old dung-heaps, eh?