Chemistry Sets for Adults?

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Posted by chrisd on Wednesday January 1, 2003 @03:48PM from the reclaiming-our-brains dept.

An Anonymous Coward asks "I've been pursuing a few different lines of study, to refresh myself in basic sciences before I return to school. Right now I am reading up on Chemistry, and thought it would be fun to acquire a chemistry set just to play around with and maybe learn a few things from. Do any science geeks here have any suggestions?" My childhood garage probably still has purple and black stains all over it (lucky I was wearing glasses). 300 in one electronics kits, anyone?

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For adults? by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-01 15:50 · Score: 5, Funny

I hear those rolling methamphetamine labs are getting pretty popular.
1. Re:For adults? by Anonymous+Hack · 2003-01-01 16:28 · Score: 2, Funny
  
  Too true, and this is precisely the problem. Too many chemicals out there can be used to make drugs and bombs, and that makes the government Very Unhappy.
  
  I loved chemistry in high school and regret i never followed it up. Actually the real life of a chemical engineer is probably equally boring as that of a computer programmer, but hey i can fantasize. Can't you just see the dinner party conversation? "Crank... um um um um yeah crank yeah crank don't got nothin on my hydropsychotic pseudomethephedrineactose-sulfate-2,4,5... that's like like 245 bpm heart rate and and and "
  
  --
  I got a sig so you would remember me.
2. Re:For adults? by morie · 2003-01-01 21:48 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Whatever you would classify "Gold" (Au) under, it most certainly should not be Organic Chemistry
  :-)
  
  --
  Sig (appended to the end of comments I post, 54 chars)
Re:Why? by identd · 2003-01-01 15:53 · Score: 2, Funny

What fun would that be, I mean we all know bleach and amnonoia and bleach is the best chemistry set.
Just Joking...
Slashdot: News for Dealers... by Quaoar · 2003-01-01 15:55 · Score: 5, Funny

I think it's about time we added a "hydroponics" category. Honestly, most nerds will probably applaud it.

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I'll form my OWN solar system! With blackjack! And hookers!
i was gonna mod this up by waspleg · 2003-01-01 15:57 · Score: 4, Funny

but then i got high err heh
sugestion by larry+bagina · 2003-01-01 15:58 · Score: 4, Funny

ask your local meth lab if you can do some intern work.

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Do you even lift?
These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.
alright by pummer · 2003-01-01 16:01 · Score: 3, Funny

first, you buy a textbook, like the one you had in 11th grade. Then, you place it under your pillow and learn by osmosis.

or

you take a big ol' jar of gasoline, add styrofoam until you get a play-doh like mixture. what you have is napa----------

oops, you were asking for suggestions. I thought you wanted to know what I did.
I just got my own adult chemistry kit. by pi_rules · 2003-01-01 16:01 · Score: 4, Funny

It's actually a little bit of biology mixed in with a bit of chemistry; but it's really fun to play with.

It's a home-brew kit for making my own beer :) I could entertain myself for hours with this thing.
Re:Essential oil extraction by MegaHamsterX · 2003-01-01 16:15 · Score: 2, Funny

OR.....you could sell it on tv and be the next Billy Mays(sp)
If you want good chemistry experiments, by joelt49 · 2003-01-01 16:33 · Score: 2, Funny

I would definitely recommend the Anarchist's Cookbook. Full of fun stuff, ie thermite and other stuff I can't remember. Just don't get caught with it, though. If you do, I never posted this (uh, well, you know what I mean :)
How to win a Darwin Award by John+Miles · 2003-01-01 17:24 · Score: 3, Funny

1. Make nitroglycerin from a recipe written by someone who can't spell the names of the chemicals ("sulferic acid") required.
2. Light fuse.
3. Get away.
4. (Your heirs) profit!

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Dahlmann tightly grips the knife, which he may have no idea how to use, and steps out into the plain.
Re:My All-time favorite by jayed_99 · 2003-01-01 18:03 · Score: 5, Funny

Some of my favorite childhood memories are negotiating with my father about what I could select as a Christmas/birthday gift from the Edmund's catalog.

Me: "I want one of those ruby-laser kits."
Him: "No. What about a prism?"
Me: "I want one of those sets that has all the chemicals."
Him: "No. What about a prism?"
Me: "I want one of those magnets that can lift a small car."
Him: "No. What about a prism?"

I got a *lot* of prisms. By the time I was eight, I had about a dozen of varied shapes and sizes.
Re:Why? by neverkevin · 2003-01-01 18:31 · Score: 2, Funny

The best way to learn is to teach

I guess you never went to public school :)
Re:Contact explosives! by gte910h · 2003-01-01 21:41 · Score: 3, Funny

Keep it wet, and it doesn't go boom. :) I had a rackful of this stuff drying in the back of a chemistry class when I was a chem aid. Needless to say, I heard it down the hall (in english class) when the next period's chem aid set it off when moving the rack (which to my credit was marked "Contact explosive, do not touch"

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Want to see every step I took to start my company? http://www.rowdylabs.com/blogs/pitchtothegods
Re:Essential oil extraction by riedquat · 2003-01-02 00:10 · Score: 2, Funny

I did that for a demonstration once - I only realised afterwards that what I'd been asking people to sniff was mostly benzene...
Re:Nitrogen triiodide by Anonymous Coward · 2003-01-02 06:35 · Score: 1, Funny

My dad had a story about his high school chermistry days and painting a trace of this on the feet of the seats of toilets in the restrooms. Since this was during WWII, it was considered a prank rather than terrorism or juvenile deliquency.