Sciencemadness Discussion Board - Has one of our members died?

Has one of our members died?

mr.crow - 6-5-2010 at 15:18

I read an ominous message on Myfanwy's youtube channel. Maybe someone can confirm it?

http://www.youtube.com/user/Myfanwy94

So basically don't make explosives and highly toxic chemicals. Stupid stupid

thereelstory - 6-5-2010 at 20:31

i has spoken to him a few times over at utube. what happened to him supposedly? he was eager to share his ideas. i hope he is ok. anyone spoke to him lately?

The_Davster - 6-5-2010 at 21:25

The member in question: https://www.sciencemadness.org/whisper/member.php?action=vie...

UnintentionalChaos - 6-5-2010 at 21:35

Note that his last forum post was 3 days ago and the youtube post was 6 days ago claiming that he died last month.

DJF90 - 6-5-2010 at 23:23

Not sure what you're reading UC but his profile says he was last active on 10/04/10, and the youtube message says he died on 19/04/10... its not looking good

A google search of his name turned up no articles though, you'd expect this kinda thing to hit the media quick.

UnintentionalChaos - 6-5-2010 at 23:39

Nevermind- stupid order of the date.

I have it set to mm/dd/yy, while the link to his profile is to the https site where I am not logged in and the default is dd/mm/yy. So the post was april 5th, not may 4th.

[Edited on 5-7-10 by UnintentionalChaos]

Mildronate - 6-5-2010 at 23:53

He made HCN in youtube

DJF90 - 7-5-2010 at 01:15

UC: Thought it might have been a format error, took me a couple mins to work it out myself

entropy51 - 7-5-2010 at 14:54

I hope it isn't true, but he sure had a certain disregard for common sense:

Quote:

my whole basement and stairway smelled like rotten eggs. in my basement is a huge concentration of H2S. Because of the Gas i started swetting strongly, ang got dizzy

thereelstory - 7-5-2010 at 18:28

IM sorry but did this poor kid have somthing happen to him? Sorry.

JohnWW - 7-5-2010 at 18:52

I wonder if something like that could have happened to Megalomania, the founder and owner of http://www.roguesci.org, shortly before its web-hoster pulled the plug on the site on 30th June 2009, alleging that its web-hosting fee had not been paid. No-one seems to really know what happened to him, and he has not contacted anyone. I tried emailing him at his known email addresses, and also messaging a listing for Megalomania on Skype,without success.

Sedit - 7-5-2010 at 23:24

I know roguesci is a huge loss but isn't there ANYONE that knew the real name of the owner? I mean I try to keep my profile on the DL so to speak but a few know my real name and such possibly.

Still not to sound harsh but this thread is about a dear member who may have given his life for the love of chemistry.... lets hope his passing is not all in vain in the end and we can all learn anything we can if his experation was indeed chemistry related.

To relatives of the possibly departed, if you are reading this, and I hope someday you do, im sure I speak for all those here when I say that we send out our sorrow, plus thankfulness, for all they have shared with us. For you, your dear freind (and our own ) we wish you the best of luck in this time of passing

~Sedit

chief - 8-5-2010 at 04:09

Why not re-invoke the roguesci: There are archives on rapidshare, I believe ...: Can just be fed into a site ...
==> Should the original owner re-appear he can have it back, of course ...

Mildronate - 9-5-2010 at 02:32

I really miss roguesci.

RIP

chief - 9-5-2010 at 04:31

As I said before: Whoever wants ro re-invoke the roguesci-site may send me PM, and hint me to the archive he wants to be fed into it ...
==> I the might convert it to a ready forum or blog, and upload this to rapidshare ...
==> From there on it might be downloaded and run on a server ...

Best Idea would be to let it run on _1_ place, if as forum: So all the new posts would coem there, not be spread over many sites on the entire web ..

hissingnoise - 9-5-2010 at 04:40

The really sad thing about Myfanwy's possible demise is that he may have been as young as sixteen. . .

Sedit - 9-5-2010 at 11:09

Quote: Originally posted by Mildronate

I really miss roguesci.

RIP

You should be ashamed of yourself. One of our members, possibly a child at that, has passed away and you write RIP for a forum that was overrun by nazis. Get a fucking clue people and show some fucking respect, Gdamn

chief - 9-5-2010 at 13:07

Sedit is right ... !

Why not make a virtual graveyard, eg. on the frontpage, for those who had accidents ?
==> Would surely serve as a warning, like all the crosses in some mountain-regions, which remind of the dead climbers there ...

Also beside the virtual graveyard there could be some virtual hospital for the injuries,
==> and a virtual jail for all the cooks that went in ... ... .

rrkss - 10-5-2010 at 11:41

Looking at his youtube channel, it seems like he enjoyed preparing large quantities of explosive and highly toxic chemicals without the proper precautions to handle them. Won't be surprised if he had an accident that ended up taking his life.

rrkss - 19-5-2010 at 13:31

Supposedly he died from a pulmonary edema. Don't know if its chemistry related or not, but RIP to him.

Sedit - 19-5-2010 at 14:29

His final post here expressed his desire to try and make phosgene.... as sad as it is to say this I fear he may have botched a synthesis of it.

a_bab - 21-5-2010 at 03:28

Having a virtual graveyard would be a bad idea, just as in E&W forum where there were at least some 2 members who made the news, leaving the Earth in pieces (and at least one on purpose, taking others along).

It draws anwanted attention to say the least. Besides, there will be LOTS of "RIP" messages from people who did't even know the now defunct member exist in the first place.

thereelstory - 21-5-2010 at 18:28

although he had a tendency to conduct outside xperimnts, i believe phosgene is particularly nasty.

a_bab - 23-5-2010 at 07:48

Outdoors won't make a difference with such gases if one uses not tested equipment; read the thread with H2S intoxication. It makes a difference in the sence of "dropping dead a bit later".
Plus, phosgene is cumulative; once exposed, the damage is done, it won't heal very fast and another exposure just tops on the old one and so on, till the lungs are screwed enough to cause trouble. Big trouble; walking with liquid sloshing in the chest must be a terrible thing, although it would be perceived by the unhappy as "an unbearable shortness of breath".

[Edited on 23-5-2010 by a_bab]

quicksilver - 23-5-2010 at 09:17

Just a rhetorical question here but why the fuck even synthesize a toxic like phosgene? To say that you have done so? To mfg a weapon? It's a seriously questionable thing to do.

There is one big damn difference between maturity, intelligence, wisdom, & a collection of items, issues, or idiosyncrasies memorized. One of the reasons why "IQ Testing" was dropped as a measure of intellect is that someone may have the ability to regurgitate a number of things yet not have the common sense to to use elemental self-preservation...... thus weeding that individual from the collective gene-pool.
To conceptualize someone as being "bright" simply because they can vomit up whatever they may have read or studied without utilizing that material in a productive manner (or at least not a destructive one) is a very narrow view of the human mind.

[Edited on 23-5-2010 by quicksilver]

JohnWW - 23-5-2010 at 14:31

COCl2 is used in the industrial manufacture of polycarbonate polymers, by reaction with diols or diphenols having -OH groups at both ends of a molecule, particularly "bisphenol A". However, the need to firstly manufacture COCl2 can be eliminated by using a new "green" polycarbonate process, with CO2 instead reacted with diols/diphenols, but a much higher pressure is required.

[Edited on 23-5-10 by JohnWW]

quicksilver - 23-5-2010 at 16:36

I suppose we'll never know the truth anyway. In matters like this, with a potential tragedy, a family deserves privacy.

Globey - 24-5-2010 at 08:34

I really do feel horrible if anyone of us has died, It is a sad day, and I pray for their soul. One of the wost is just a drip of dimethymmercury. Even with gloves on. Nasty death. I hope no one has to go through this, NEVER mess with mercury stuff like this. ALWAYS bring to be disposed of poperly,

froot - 25-5-2010 at 00:55

This is horrible news. My sincere condolences to his family.

Here's a post of his from the Phosphorous topic:

Quote:

i tested it today with small amounts in a test tube. Even without sand P4 is produced.

you ever smelled the vapours, when white P is stored under water. This odor is really nice and exotic.
Dont know how to describe it better, but its not phosphine.

some strange Phosphorus oxides/acids..

This guy's enthusiasm was inspiring. I did feel though in that case he was not warned of the risks to his health.

In other topics he was warned, Franklin for one noticed a flashing red light:

Quote:

b]@ Myfanwy

I compliment you on your success.

Must avoid breathing hydrazine fumes
you're doing so if you can smell it.
Stand up wind outside or have a fan
provide draft. Another solution might
be to wear a gas mask.

http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=2374#p...
http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=2374&a...
http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=6375#p...

There are old chemists and bold chemists
but there are no old bold chemists.

So true and I can't help feeling that even more emphasis on safety is needed here. There are many amateurs on here, myself included, whose enthusiasm tends to override safety precautions. That is where more experienced members should nip it in the butt. I can't help not considering the possibility that this community could have altered the course that this guy's life took by getting through to him regarding safety, but by no means accountable, please don't get me wrong.

Chemistry enthusiasts are rare, we should do what we can to protect each other from harm.

stygian - 25-5-2010 at 17:42

in reference to Sedit's question about megalomania, if you had ever conversed with him via email, (at least ages ago when I did,) there was a name attached to them. questionable if it was a real one though.

edit: nevermind. i see its already on this forum in a couple places.

[Edited on 26-5-2010 by stygian]

Fleaker - 25-5-2010 at 17:45

Given some people's predilections (even professional chemists in academia and industry), their potential demise is but mere probability and statistics. Some research groups that make highly stressed energetic compounds or ridiculously hazardous inorganics seem to pull it off safely, but they do so with every precaution. Even then, there are still explosions or accidental poisonings. The best circumstances can only serve to minimize the risk.

Some types of chemistry aren't ever really what I'd call "safe", but rather the risks are tolerable" in light of the rewards. This hobby is about balancing risk and reward, for what use is such dearly bought knowledge if you are atomised in the quest to obtain it?

Obviously, if one is trying to make phosphorus or phosgene or fluorine in a makeshift setup, the likelihood of an accident greatly increases. Add to that the impetuous nature of youth and the general lack of resources and the affair is quite sad.

It seems this poor fellow had more enthusiasm for chemistry than safety, if indeed his untimely death was chemistry-related.

I cannot claim to have always been the safest chemist, but I certainly took all the precautions I could afford and rationalize.

Sedit - 25-5-2010 at 20:48

Quote: Originally posted by stygian

in reference to Sedit's question about megalomania, if you had ever conversed with him via email, (at least ages ago when I did,) there was a name attached to them. questionable if it was a real one though.

edit: nevermind. i see its already on this forum in a couple places.

[Edited on 26-5-2010 by stygian]

Um....Huh....

What question exactly did I ask about megalo? AKAIK I made no references to him in the slightest in this thread so could you provide a quote or something that lets me know what the hell your talking about please.

stygian - 26-5-2010 at 06:44

Quote: Originally posted by Sedit

I know roguesci is a huge loss but isn't there ANYONE that knew the real name of the owner? I mean I try to keep my profile on the DL so to speak but a few know my real name and such possibly.

...
~Sedit

Right there.

Sedit - 26-5-2010 at 09:23

Sorry, I forgot all about that post when I seen a thread about one of our more productive members passing turn into another whinning fest about the lose of roguesci. Just a little annoying to say the lest when a child dies and everyone crys because there forums gone. Boo friggin whoo... RS didn't have a heartbeat, a soul, and a family. This kid had his entire life ahead of him and now he botches one synthesis out of many fine ones he performed and has left us because of that. Thats whats important not a bunch of electronical communications between a bunch of people whos only goal in life is to make things go boom. :mad:

franklyn - 1-6-2010 at 22:29

Last recorded post _

Quote: Originally posted by Myfanwy

many things are more poisonous than phosgene.
anyway i wanted for a long time to make phosgene. i just want to make this one time in my life.
are there some easier ways to make it? (dont have CHCl3,CCl4 etc)

Quote: Originally posted by DJF90

. . . his profile says he was last active on 10/04/10,
and the youtube message says he died on 19/04/10... its not looking good.

Quote: Originally posted by rrkss

Supposedly he died from a pulmonary edema.
Don't know if its chemistry related or not,

80 % of gas casualties in the first world war were from phosgene inhalation.
Because it has a pleasant newly mowed hay odor, which belies it's ability to
quickly kill you.

Only the very old on their death bed or the frail infirmed , die of pneumonia ,
not a sixteen year old , unless this was Avian flu. There are many sports
which are hazardous to health , life and limb. No one bemoans participation
in those Xtreme activities. This sad episode starkly shows that explosives
are not exclusive sources of danger.

Quote: Originally posted by quicksilver

Just a rhetorical question here but why the fuck even synthesize a toxic like phosgene?

A by-product of Oxalyl chloride synthesis perhaps.
Likely this thread where his last post appears
http://www.sciencemadness.org/whisper/viewthread.php?tid=135...
http://www.sciencemadness.org/whisper/viewthread.php?tid=135...

Quote: Originally posted by Myfanwy

i think this is very interesting, because TCCA, methanol and oxalic acid arent very hard
to get for hobbychemists. This may be the only option for me to get oxalyl chloride.

His scatterbrained temerity made more than one seasoned practioner grimace.
http://www.sciencemadness.org/whisper/viewthread.php?tid=23&...

.

Alexein - 24-6-2010 at 16:36

Truly said,

We haven't heard a whisper from him in over two months. A guy like that thrives on sharing their adventures, and with this prolonged silence i think he's really not coming back.

His overwhelming enthusiasm made me think he was going to turn rocks in rocket cars by sheer force of will in a few short years. But it looks like his reach exceed his grasp and we won't be able to see him realize his potential.

Some individuals tried to point out the excessive danger he was in, but i wonder if he had too much mental momentum for us to stop him, or if we somehow failed to reach him. If the later, i want to know how to do better if we find another bottle of lightning like him.

br25 - 1-7-2010 at 08:59

he was last on here 19.04.2010
18.34 hm

http://www.cosmiq.de/exp/show/Schwefel/

-=HeX=- - 11-7-2010 at 16:50

Now... That is a VERY sad thing, one of us younger generation of chemists passing away thanks to an accident caused by lack of safety.

Seriously. Most chemists in the 15-25 age bracket, unless they had the formal training, seem to abandon safety if it becomes inconvenient. Only an accident/near death experience causes them to think again, as at this age they believe they are invincible and noting will 'get' them.

Let this here serve as a particularly tragic lesson to all to be VERY fucking careful Read the MSDS, and if in doubt, wear a gas mask at LEAST.

Full NBC suits are dirt cheap. I can get ex-british Milsurp ones for less than 50 euro with shipping, 40 euro in fact.

I wish this kid never had to have such a horrible accident, it makes a part of me wince at the thought of a youngun (I was his age not long ago if I think about it) having to die such horrible way.

Though I wonder why the media had not gone insane already...

mewrox99 - 15-7-2010 at 16:36

I PM'd his friend just2diy about Max's death. According to him it was not an accident but apparently suicide using cyanide.

Alexein - 15-7-2010 at 17:20

how did they tell the difference between him purposely killing himself, and accidentally gassing himself with hydrogen cyanide?

His final posts indicated he wanted to make the stuff "just to see". Now maybe he was actually trying to off himself and just saying it was an experiment so no one would hound him. But I'm still going to assume he's innocent of suicide until proven otherwise.

mewrox99 - 16-7-2010 at 03:56

I guess your right.

If he did die from cyanide like just2diy said, then there is no way to know if he prepared it with the intention of dying unless he left a suicide note or something.

Just2Diy also mentioned that his death from pulmonary edema which I find strange. I don't think you can get pulmonary edema from HCN since it would kill you before it damages the lungs.

It's really sad that he's gone, as he was really talented and it looked like he had a bright future ahead

[Edited on 16-7-2010 by mewrox99]

rrkss - 16-7-2010 at 11:30

His last posts here regarded generating phosgene, a highly toxic gas that does cause pulmonary edema.

Alexein - 16-7-2010 at 12:11

Whatever the hell he was doing, if he died by chemical exposure i still wouldn't call it suicide given his chemical hobby. It could have just been a horrible accident.

Perhaps the police weren't fully aware just how advanced his chemistry knowledge and experimentation was, and assumed that a chemical cause proved suicidal intent.

If we found out someone on the street died of cyanide poisoning i would also jump to the suicide conclusion since cyanide isn't something most people swallow by accident.

But if we then found out he was just outside his laboratory and we found inside a cyanide gas leak/generator then i would be more hesitant to call it suicide.

[Edited on 7-16-2010 by Alexein]

Skyjumper - 16-7-2010 at 14:49

Quote: Originally posted by -=HeX=-

Now... That is a VERY sad thing, one of us younger generation of chemists passing away thanks to an accident caused by lack of safety.

[....]

Full NBC suits are dirt cheap. I can get ex-british Milsurp ones for less than 50 euro with shipping, 40 euro in fact.

[...]

Though I wonder why the media had not gone insane already...

Your opinion is part of the reason. An NBC suite? are you INSANE? That makes chemistry look bad. How would your neighbors feel if your walking around in a tyvek hazmat suite? They think something that will harm them is up. Next thing you know, another "meth cook" is in jail, claiming he was just doing chemistry.

Thats what makes chem. look bad. Not things like this, because incidents like that happen in labs too. Its the idiots who order bulk quantities of NBC suites who get busted by the police, and labeled meth cooks, giving chemistry a bad day.

-=HeX=- - 20-7-2010 at 10:36

Man, my country does not have this 'Meth Cook' phenomenon going on. Therefore, the 'chemist witch hunt' is not a real problem. The real problem is irresponsible idiots and domestic terrorism.

Local LEO know what happens in my shed, and after a few bits of hassle they now turn a blind eye to my work. As far as they (and the district judge) are concerned, I am a private man working on my own private property, harming nobody, and taking safety VERY seriously.

If they saw me fucking about in my 'old' safety-less lab... THEN I would get in trouble. But me being all safety conscious, having waste barrels which get delivered to hazardous material dumping areas, and generally using my head? Well, that is OK.

And my neighbours? Well, they cannot see me thanks to a thing called a privacy fence, and the fact I live out in the middle of nowhere! They are used to loud noises coming from my house/garden, and hell, they enjoy them. Halloween and new years are always spectacular events with EVERYONE firing off their fireworks and guns.

You may have to worry about neighbours and such, I do not. Therefore, my priority is my own safety.
One neighbour has seen me in gas mask and tyvek, and he assumed I was simply using weedkiller or applying pesticides or something. Another, a farmer, asked could he borrow some gear when he has to fumigate some outbuildings.

It is all about WHERE you live, WHAT the attitudes ate, and HOW you act. Act irresponsibly, you get bubba. Be responsible, you get no trouble.

I cannot see why you Americans go cracked whenever you hear of one of us Euro's being careful... I guess it is all that meth lab shit. We had that here ONCE. Yes, once. Then they realized, meth is imported in this country - not domestically produced. So they chase real criminals, not backyard experimenters.

Her experimenting is actually encouraged, though many cannot believe this. The BT Young Scientist, while a bit 'tame', is an outlet for many budding scientists. I have seen coilguns, ballistics experiments and tesla coils there, along with rocketry, and other fun things. All done by young people who were safe scientists.

Why compromise on your safety? That is one thing I cannot understand. Your safety should be number ONE priority. After that, public relations can be handled.

Addon - 20-7-2010 at 11:51

He once had a video (deleted...) on Youtube, where he destilled hydrogen cyanide and dropped it directly in sodiumhydroxide solution (-> sodium cyanide).
May he tried that again and breathed some HCN gas in, which caused the deadly edema.

entropy51 - 20-7-2010 at 11:55

Quote: Originally posted by -=HeX=-

You may have to worry about neighbours and such, I do not. Therefore, my priority is my own safety.

One neighbour has seen me in gas mask and tyvek, and he assumed I was simply using weedkiller or applying pesticides or something. Another, a farmer, asked could he borrow some gear when he has to fumigate some outbuildings.

I cannot see why you Americans go cracked whenever you hear of one of us Euro's being careful... I guess it is all that meth lab shit.

Why compromise on your safety? That is one thing I cannot understand. Your safety should be number ONE priority. After that, public relations can be handled.

In this country we use fume hoods and good technique. Consequently there is never a need for gas mask and Tyvek suit. There is no compromise involved.

BTW, the Tyvek won't protect you from the shots fired by your neighbors when "celebrating" Halloween with their firearms.

hissingnoise - 20-7-2010 at 12:08

Quote:

BTW, the Tyvek won't protect you from the shots fired by your neighbors when "celebrating" Halloween with their firearms.

C'mon entropy51, you know everything is possible in the phantasy-world HEX inhabits. . .

Mildronate - 20-7-2010 at 12:34

I had one botlle with hg nitrate and one botle with Hg sulfate in my room. But making HCN in that way like he is not normal

entropy51 - 20-7-2010 at 13:28

Quote: Originally posted by Addon

He once had a video (deleted...) on Youtube, where he destilled hydrogen cyanide and dropped it directly in sodiumhydroxide solution (-> sodium cyanide).
May he tried that again and breathed some HCN gas in, which caused the deadly edema.

IIRC Nicodem specifically warned him (or someone else?) about that.

I don't think a lethal dose of HCN would cause pulmonary edema pre-mortem. You die too quickly. Pulmonary edema is more typical of phosgene and Cl2. Didn't he also express an interest in making phosgene?

Sedit - 20-7-2010 at 14:02

His final post days before what ever accident was interest in making phosgene. This talk of cyanide poisioning seems like nonsence to me.

-=HeX=- - 23-7-2010 at 15:49

Hissingnoise, I don't honestly know where you live, and I do not care. Lets just say I live somewhere VERY interesting with interesting people.

BTW, the 'lab 2.0' is being constructed soon. Photos when I get the gear will be here

I assume y'all are learning from this kids sad demise?

White Yeti - 17-2-2012 at 19:59

I appologise for lifting an old thread but I thought this would fit right in.

Along these lines, I ran across a thread a while ago, where thereelstory was asking where to get CO and Cl2... I was pretty harsh on him, as were other users.
But seriously, has anyone heard of him?

Obviously, we all know what he was up to, but what worries me is that he hasn't posted anything since.

It's been haunting me ever since.

Here's a link to the thread I'm talking about :
http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=15242
It took me a while to dig it up from the abyss.

Neil - 17-2-2012 at 20:49

Go read all the thread in energetics, half of them have some new poster who posts about 'great synths' with acetone peroxide or making TNT or what have you and then cease posting altogether or stop for a while followed by a post about how they need to sell off all their glassware and how they are quiting chemistry.

Anyone who can't make gases which are commonly made by dumbasses, and unfortunate ignorants, by mistake is unlikely to get them from dealers and gas themselves, I would not loose sleep over it if I were you. Personally I'm waiting to see if Ande...er I mean Anonymous follows Sedit's wonderfull advice.

White Yeti - 24-2-2012 at 20:33

Quote: Originally posted by Neil

...stop for a while followed by a post about how they need to sell off all their glassware and how they are quiting chemistry.

I would not loose sleep over it if I were you.

I guess you're right. Those who fail are lucky in some ways. A guy who is only interested in the explosion of a chemical rather than the chemistry that goes into making it should not come crying and holding his own head.