The Chemical-Free Chemistry Kit

eldavojohn writes "It's known that home chemistry sets are in danger of going extinct, which has spurred set makers to add the label 'Chemical Free!' on modern chemistry sets (NSFW warning — JAYFK stands for Journal of Are You *expletive* Kidding). The kit for ages 10+ provides 60 chemistry activities that are mind-bogglingly chemical free. The pedantic blog entry points out the many questions that arise when the set promises 'fun activities' like growing plants and crystals — sans chemicals! That would be quite the feat to accomplish without the evilest of chemicals: dihydrogen monoxide. While this rebuttal is done in jest, this set's intentions do highlight the chilling growth of a new mentality: Chemicals are bad. Despite their omnipresence from the beginning of time, they are no longer safe. Even real researchers are starting to notice the possible voluntary stunting of science education that is occurring in the name of overreaching safety."

Comments

Re:Dihydrogen Monoxide *is* a serious threat

[treeves]

I guess that means lead, radon and fluorine are very safe. Fewer syllables than oxygen or nitrogen (or in the case of lead, even water).
OTOH, deoxyribonucleic acid, at ten syllables, must be awful stuff.

Re:do it yourself chemistry set

[dustymugs]

Quite easily. Just buy everything from Sigma-Aldrich (http://www.sigmaaldrich.com) as they've got almost everything a home chemist could want :-).

Re:what is a chemical anyway?

[blueg3]

Hardly. Concrete, for example, isn't a chemical. (The individual constituents may be. Ultimately, the constituents of concrete are all composed of chemicals, but that could be a ways down.) A bridge isn't a chemical. Humans, potatoes, bacon, hope, money -- none of those are chemicals.

"Everything" is perhaps a more inclusive word than you were going for.