I think chemistry is one of those subjects that should be the easiest to teach in a captivating way and yet most school/university level treatments tend to be quite dry. I imagine most of this is due to cost, safety and effort required but one can dream.
I heard from reputable sources that modern "little chemist" kits[0] have become quite boring, mostly for safety reasons (there's some nice single-use kits like Mel science but that's different).
Still, looks like you can still make a bunch of fun experiments in school? I've tried to engage my kids in some simple experiments (ph identification with cabbage, showing how bones can become brittle or rubbery depending on which components you remove, the classic soda&vinegar experiments etc).
University level treatment, dunno, seems like it should be fun but I had one chemistry class and balancing reductions is not that entertaining and that's most of it.
[0] I'm not sure of the actual English name, I mean those kits with a dozen things to combine, a becher, a Bunsen burner etc.
Tried a few links and found them broken.
For example, Dunn's book on soap making. Nonetheless, Googled it:
https://www.amazon.com/Scientific-Soapmaking-Chemistry-Cold-...
The lead me to his Caveman Chemistry book on Amazon as well:
https://www.amazon.com/Caveman-Chemistry-Projects-Creation-P...
I think chemistry is one of those subjects that should be the easiest to teach in a captivating way and yet most school/university level treatments tend to be quite dry. I imagine most of this is due to cost, safety and effort required but one can dream.
I heard from reputable sources that modern "little chemist" kits[0] have become quite boring, mostly for safety reasons (there's some nice single-use kits like Mel science but that's different).
Still, looks like you can still make a bunch of fun experiments in school? I've tried to engage my kids in some simple experiments (ph identification with cabbage, showing how bones can become brittle or rubbery depending on which components you remove, the classic soda&vinegar experiments etc).
University level treatment, dunno, seems like it should be fun but I had one chemistry class and balancing reductions is not that entertaining and that's most of it.
[0] I'm not sure of the actual English name, I mean those kits with a dozen things to combine, a becher, a Bunsen burner etc.
A chemist once told me the two paths that bring people into chemistry are learning how to blow shit up and how to get high.
But yes, regardless of those two it should be easy to frame it as a magical adventure.
How is it that the new website is uglier than the old one?
From the Stone Tools project page...
>> If you have ever seen the fracture which results when a BB hits a glass window, you have seen the conchoidal fracture.
Wow the instructor sounds extra, but this would’ve been a great course to go through in a summer as a kid. It’d be fun to audit as an adult really.