Panache
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Trying to explain to someone why you collect chemicals
i have always failed to ever make anyone understand why i collect chemicals. The best i usually do is some lame analogy to other forms of collection,
like antique radio's. Invariably i fall well short off helping them understand indicating perhaps i also don't understand why.
A really annoying question that's always asked after i show something i think is interesting is 'so what are you going to make with it?'. when i
answer 'i have no intention of making anything i just like having it, perhaps something will come up' i get the feeling they think i am hiding the
true reason for having it.
i had a winchester of CH2Br2 unopened on my mantle (ornamental mantlepiece) for many years, it was very heavy. It had arrived finally after much
delay on the day i submitted my thesis, so it had sentimental value and because of this a certain aesthetic to me. if i was a mountain climber no one
would question why i have some grapling hook on my mantle that i used when i climbed K2 or whatever. Why was it such a stretch for people to see my
bottle of dibromomethane in a similar way.
The dibromomethane btw made an excellent solvent for the VCR and television below it that it smashed onto courtesy of a drunk friend one night.
I nowadays only show chemicals to young children on the rare occasion opportunity permits, hoping to intrigue them as i was once similarly intrigued
when young. Surprisingly this is always encouraged by their parents because its 'sciency' and good for the child. I always wonder why the parent isn't
equally fascinated.
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MagicJigPipe
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I would have thought that parents would think the opposite. As in, Science=bad or chemistry=drugs.
I've always thought about doing a little survey in my area. E.g. the first question might be:
What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word "chemistry"/"lab"/"chemical" etc...
My guess is that the responses would be in this order of frequency:
Drugs
Bombs
WMD
Explosives
Science
"There must be no barriers to freedom of inquiry ... There is no place for dogma in science. The scientist is free, and must be free to ask any
question, to doubt any assertion, to seek for any evidence, to correct any errors. ... We know that the only way to avoid error is to detect it and
that the only way to detect it is to be free to inquire. And we know that as long as men are free to ask what they must, free to say what they think,
free to think what they will, freedom can never be lost, and science can never regress." -J. Robert Oppenheimer
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pantone159
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Collecting in general doesn't make much sense to non-collectors.
Maybe, though, for anybody who is confused by your interests, if they happen to collect anything else, you can point out that a lot of people would
probably find *that* strange.
BTW - Mountaineers don't use grappling hooks so they would certainly question what you had that for. 
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Panache
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| Quote: | Originally posted by MagicJigPipe
What is the first thing you think of when you hear the word "chemistry"/"lab"/"chemical" etc...
My guess is that the responses would be in this order of frequency:
Drugs
Bombs
WMD
Explosives
Science |
I guess i have maybe a new person, every other week come through my lab for whatever reason, from salesrep to tradesmen to customers. Now granted it
is designed more in keeping with early 20th century aesthetics but has some very modern features to it also and lots of visible glass.
Every single time a new person is being shown around they will invariably crack the meth lab comment. Everytime!!! It actually incenses me but i hide
my displeasure.
So yeah your list is bbang on i reckon
| Quote: |
BTW - Mountaineers don't use grappling hooks so they would certainly question what you had that for.
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Sorry i meant to say The A-team, not mounain-goat-ineers 
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Picric-A
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I personally try to keep my hobby hidden to alll but my closest friends.
My parents know i have a interest in chemistry but they dont mind becuase after i got interested in it i started getting exellent grades ect...
My chemcistry teacher know but he is always cautious of me, 15year olds and a vast knowledge of synthesis dont go well... meth ect... 
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The_Davster
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With people I know who also study chemistry I prefer to confuse the hell out of them. I turn it around and get a bit excited and go "whats wrong
with you? You don't have a home lab!?. What sort of chemist are you?! I thought you said you liked chemistry?!...Oh I get it you are just an
armchair chemist, all book knowledge and no practical?" or "let me guess, you don't have any intellectual hobbies, you go home and knock back a case
of beer while watching hockey right?"
I have been able to do it rather convincingly and get them defensive about it real quick .
With professors I don't use the armchair chemist comment though, but I have changed a few profs minds.
I don't mention it to people who have no chemical background.
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MagicJigPipe
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Out of the three chemistry professors I have met so far I have found one that actually had a "home lab". I'm pretty sure he's an anomaly though.
Apparently, he had a run-in with the police as well after he made the mistake of talking about his lab during a lecture. He stopped because of that
but he still likes to talk about what he once did.
My parents were PISSED when they first discovered a simple experiment I had going on in the garage. Their opinion is that private citizens should be
be banned from owning all but the least harmful substances. In fact, they didn't give a damn that my interest encouraged me to go to school (or
encouraged thought). They would have been happy if I just quit messing with chemistry even if it meant I wouldn't go to school. They are the
stereotypical right-wing conservative anti-everything, ban everything parental units. Every time they visit I have to put up all of my chemistry
stuff just to avoid an argument. AND I'M GOING TO SCHOOL FOR A BS IN CHEMISTRY! I seriously think that if they saw what I have now they would break
in and bust up all my stuff. Or more likely take it to the police station to "have it disposed of".
They did that once while I still lived with them. I had about 3-5 gallon each of toluene, methanol and ethanol. They took all of it to a "chemical
disposal" place. They basically WASTED ~$80 of FUEL in a time where wasting fuel should be a mortal sin.
I still get a headache every time I think of all that they did.
(BTW, I told them that they had all those chemicals and more already in their garage. They said, "we don't want YOUR chemicals here even if they are
the same as ours". I was so stunned/shocked/disillusioned that I made it my mission to move out ASAP and distance myself from those crazy thoughts.
Their way of thinking/life is so illogical and counterintuitive I just can't even think about it without getting angry... I better stop.)
"There must be no barriers to freedom of inquiry ... There is no place for dogma in science. The scientist is free, and must be free to ask any
question, to doubt any assertion, to seek for any evidence, to correct any errors. ... We know that the only way to avoid error is to detect it and
that the only way to detect it is to be free to inquire. And we know that as long as men are free to ask what they must, free to say what they think,
free to think what they will, freedom can never be lost, and science can never regress." -J. Robert Oppenheimer
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chloric1
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| Quote: | Originally posted by The_Davster
I have been able to do it rather convincingly and get them defensive about it real quick.
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It's funny but actually VERY sad at the same time. I guess they just after the career.
| Quote: | Originally posted by MagicJigPipe
They did that once while I still lived with them. I had about 3-5 gallon each of toluene, methanol and ethanol. They took all of it to a "chemical
disposal" place. They basically WASTED ~$80 of FUEL in a time where wasting fuel should be a mortal sin.
I still get a headache every time I think of all that they did.
(BTW, I told them that they had all those chemicals and more already in their garage. They said, "we don't want YOUR chemicals here even if they are
the same as ours". I was so stunned/shocked/disillusioned that I made it my mission to move out ASAP and distance myself from those crazy thoughts.
Their way of thinking/life is so illogical and counterintuitive I just can't even think about it without getting angry... I better stop.)
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Magic-that is too bad. Maybe there extreme attitude is what spawned your creative genius
Fellow molecular manipulator
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Trifluoroacetic
Hazard to Others
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Mood: No Mood
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I also enjoy chemistry and had been pursuing a chemistry degree but haven't gotten around to finishing school yet. I've been doing some DIY DNA
extractions and DNA gel electrophoresis at home. I told a co-worker about this and she said ONE OF THESE DAYS YOU'RE GOING TO BLOW SOMETHING UP. I
said are you kidding? With DNA? Surely you can't be serious especially when all I'm using is specialized detergents, salts, buffers, enzymes, agar
based gels, and dyes. Along with a whole lot of water.
I am afraid that we are breeding idiots at an exponentially faster rate then we are breeding intelligent people. Either that or we are purposely
dumbing our US society down so that at some point in time they will no longer be able to think intelligently for themselves. Of course there is a
reason for this. People that are intelligent can think and people that can think are a problem for our government that is becoming more and more
socialistic. If you can think for yourself you are of no used to socialist states but you are a weed that must be gotten rid of.
Now don't get me wrong I do love the USA and am proud to be an American. I personally wouldn't want to live anywhere else. But the things ( our
morals, beliefs) that once made us a great nation are quickly disapearing.
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jokull
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Hi everyone!
I don't use to collect chemicals. In my first years at college I collected some inorganic salts because of their beautiful colors and some rare glass
pieces intended for decoration.
When my parents' visitors looked out such stuff the usual comment was "pretty things, it seems he's really enjoying school". Nobody felt afraid about
it despite of most of those people never attended universitary education.
I remember one professor of organic chemistry who told us: "the people who may mess things up are those with partial knowledge; if you perfectly know
how a reaction works thus you can't be afraid in handling it. If you completely unknow chemistry, obviously you will never be interested in develop
reactions; but if you are in the middle then your lack of full comprehension may lead you to do stupid things"
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ScienceSquirrel
International Hazard
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Registered: 18-6-2008
Location: Brittany
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Mood: Dogs are pets but cats are little furry humans with four feet and self determination!
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Trifluoroacetic
I also enjoy chemistry and had been pursuing a chemistry degree but haven't gotten around to finishing school yet. I've been doing some DIY DNA
extractions and DNA gel electrophoresis at home. I told a co-worker about this and she said ONE OF THESE DAYS YOU'RE GOING TO BLOW SOMETHING UP. I
said are you kidding? With DNA? Surely you can't be serious especially when all I'm using is specialized detergents, salts, buffers, enzymes, agar
based gels, and dyes. Along with a whole lot of water.
I am afraid that we are breeding idiots at an exponentially faster rate then we are breeding intelligent people. Either that or we are purposely
dumbing our US society down so that at some point in time they will no longer be able to think intelligently for themselves. Of course there is a
reason for this. People that are intelligent can think and people that can think are a problem for our government that is becoming more and more
socialistic. If you can think for yourself you are of no used to socialist states but you are a weed that must be gotten rid of.
Now don't get me wrong I do love the USA and am proud to be an American. I personally wouldn't want to live anywhere else. But the things ( our
morals, beliefs) that once made us a great nation are quickly disapearing. |
While I would not disagree with you that the USA contains a fair proportion of idiots, more Americans believe in Biblical Creation than almost
anywhere else for example.
I think I would disagree with your statement that it is becoming a socialist state. Maybe a semiheriditary right wing dictatorship but that is a
completely different animal altogether.
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Panache
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Registered: 18-10-2007
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Mood: Instead of being my deliverance, she had a resemblance to a Kat named Frankenstein
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actually what started my collection was when i was in undergrad in 93/94/95, the department was cleaning out the chem store and published a list og
chemicals it was disposing off and if anyone wanted any. I took about half a dozen things, from then on i always made sure the lab techs knew to check
with me before they disposed of things and through honours and the fid got heaps of stuff. it was cheaper than them paying for its disposal.
When the fibre optics lab beside me lost its funding everyone just basically left overnight and after about 6months i reclaimed all of their platinum,
palladium and ruthernium salts. it was great being a chemist in a Mat Eng. department, no-one knew or cared about chemicals really and such the
disposal rate was particularily high. I do regret never getting a range of fluorine based etching chemicals before i left, that would have made a nice
addition.
That said i just purchased a Schott circa 60's Hg diffusion pump, complete with asbetsos lagging and original element, the cold trap is new but it
looks very sweet and displays in interesting contrast nicely beside my varian vac-ion pump in my vacuum equip collection.
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