United States Government restricting Chemistry sets

[DigitalWarrior]

I believe this to be on topic because it involves gov't regulation of items which are only harmful if misused. It involves the ATF. It involves your children.

I have been hearing about how the US is lagging behind other countries in Science and Engineering disciplines. I thought that it was likely because we try to teach science theory without showing the wonder and power that the math represents. I decided that I was going to try to help my area's children and my country. I was going to teach a science club.

I looked into procuring the materials necessary to create some of the wondrous reactions that got me to pay attention to things like electron probability clouds and balanced equations. It turns out they have been restricted in the name of safety.

The CPSC is trying to require onerous regulation of those who supply small scale chemistry labs, and in many cases require customers to get an ATF Explosives manufacturing license, in spite of the fact that we are not manufacturing explosives.

I would like to ask the help of my fellow high-roaders. If you could contact your congress people and point out that regulating this hurts the future of the country by destroying the majesty of science, and replacing it with water and cornstarch "experiments". With regulations like this we can expect more therapists and fewer chemical engineers researching alternative fuels.

Lastly, I would like to say that I am not financially tied to any of the companies being persecuted, so please do not doubt my motives.

http://www.unitednuclear.com/regulations.htm

 

[MacEntyre]

chemistry sets

I had one when I was a kid... now I am a chemical engineer.

You know, it is becoming overwhelming, all the things we need to speak out against to preserve our liberty. Our government is pushing on a broad front.

 

[fourays2]

let me guess, this bit of lunacy is brought to us courtesy of the war on (some) drugs.

 

[Augustwest]

If you could contact your congress people and point out that regulating this hurts the future of the country by destroying the majesty of science...

Hey, as long as I'm safer because of these restrictions, why should I care?



Will get notes out to my Congressman and Senators this afternoon.

let me guess, this bit of lunacy is brought to us courtesy of the war on (some) drugs.

More likely the war on (some) terror.

 

[carterbeauford]

This of course excludes the numerous Americans who, like me, have Miracle-Gro and kersosene in their garages.

 

[xd45gaper]

the US i beleve is lagging behind many countries when it comes to education.

 

[NoPhilly]

Wired ran an article about this some time ago:

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.06/chemistry_pr.html

 

[scurtis_34471]

Most of our schools are over-crowded and underfunded. The teachers have too many students to spend time with anyone individually. Standardized testing requirements force them to spend most of their time teaching to the test. The schools are also dominated by the NEA, which has a very strong Liberal agenda that is pro-state, anti-gun, anti-religion and morally relativistic. Teachers that buck that philosophy often find themselves marginalized and/or unemployed. School systems that buck that trend often find themselves sued. Meanwhile, our already-strapped school systems are being forced to absorb thousands of illegal non-tax-paying immigrants who have poor language skills. That sucks money away from real eduction for the rest of the kids. Its a huge mess.

One of the reasons why I continue to live where I live is that I have access to several excellent and affordable private schools. Not only do I eliminate all the liberal propaganda, the academics are fantastic. Most of the kids in my daughter's school are about two years ahead of their public school counterparts by the time they finish 8th grade. They still teach grammar, handwriting, art and music. They also start with Spanish and Computers in second grade. I dare say that's worth $6k a year.

As for chemistry, I can show her all sorts of subversive stuff to do with household chemicals.

 

[hrgrisso]

Scurtis

+1 -1

I agree with everything that has been said except the underfunding of schools. Schools have the money. It's the misuse of it, again more evidence of government waste, that causes schools to scream about "underfunding."

Other countries that consistently whomp ours in education spend FAR LESS on it than we do, a disproporionate amount. In business when a venture is not succeeding, you don't keep pouring money down the garbage chute. Backers would scream!

Just my 2cents.

 

[mbt2001]

Imagine when it takes $30,000 to $40,000 per student to "educate" them and they go out into the workplace and get jobs earning..... $30,000.00. That is a negative cash flow effect. So we need to figure a way to do MORE with LESS.

 

[Fletchette]

Is it a wonder why so many American kids drop out of school? As if the politically correct dictatorships that school has become weren't enough, now kids are being prevented from learning at home.

This has got to stop.

 

[DigitalWarrior]

This bit of Lunacy is actually a number of things combined, all of which are useless.

1: Mostly the war on fireworks. While it is legal to sell fireworks in my awesome state, the federal government is concerned about me making things that flash and/or boom. I can go out and buy 8 pounds of black powder, but the CPSC wants me to have a license to purchase 2 oz of sulfur twice a year.

2. Justified by the war on terror. Remember remember the fifth of November, etc. Because terrorists use chemistry sets to make weapons, but cannot synthesize the tools and materials they need. Could they simply import their materials from foriegn powers; sure. Could they use ANFOS or some other readily available high power explosive; sure. Could they simply rob a demolition site; sure. Could they start a legitimate demolition company and use some of the explosives to do bad things, sure. So naturally they want to make it harder for kids to learn science.

3. There are rumors that the war on drugs comes up as a reason to ban the glassware, burners, and equipment we use. This is ridiculous. The average meth setup looks like this

 

[MrTuffPaws]

Who needs a chem set when you have a copy of the "Improvised Munitions Handbook"?

 

[DigitalWarrior]

Again, please contact your Congress People. This is insane.

Thanks for the Wired article, I have printed it out and will be mailing it around.

Boys are performing worse than girls in most schools now, and I suspect it is because the coursework had been designed to excite boyish thoughts, whereas it is now safe. So we drug kids into complacency.

Remember the battery, pencils, bucket of water, dry-cleaning bag, and fuse? That is a nifty experiment. Plus if you are asked what you are doing, you can say "making water".

 

[DigitalWarrior]

I know you are kidding, but that is an association that is borne of ignorance. Improvised munitions only cover some rapid exothermic reactions, and there is more to extreme chemistry than that.

Many people think firing full auto guns is all there is to recreational shooting, but they are spectacularly wrong. It is only a piece, and a small one at that. Same for making explosives.

Dissolving the zinc out of a penny or turning it to gold is also a part. Engage the imagination.