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Citizen Science: Who Makes the Rules?
New submitter UnderCoverPenguin writes "At MakeZine, David Lang talks about the some of the legal issues around a planned, amateur science 'expedition,' as well as some other amateur science projects.
In the not too distant past, most science was amateur. Over the past 20 or so years, society has been making it harder for amateurs to do real science, despite the technical costs falling. With the recent upswing of the 'maker movement,' amateur science has seen an increase as well, but is running into an assortment of legal issues. (An exception is astronomy, where amateurs continue to play important roles. Of course, astronomy doesn't involve chemicals or other (currently) 'scary stuff.') Can amateur science make a come-back? Or are the legal obstacles too entrenched?"
Hobby chemists who have done nothing illegal are being raided by the police and having their gear seized because it "could be used to make bombs/drugs/fireworks/etc"
Because scientists were once expected to make their own glassware, someone figured "why not let kids learn too?"
So back in the heyday of science kits, you used to be able to buy a glassblowing kit for your kid.
http://www.thestrong.org/online-collections/images/Z002/Z00244/Z0024483.jpg
[Fuck Beta]
o0t!
Based on the professional scientists I have worked with they can't do it either. Based on the level of fraud in scientific papers that have been found for new drugs it seems that very very few actually can do it to those thresholds. Sure they can lie at that level but they can't do science at that level.
Computer modeling for biotech drug manufacturing is HARD!
Not just hobby chemists either. I'm a geologist with a minor in analytic chemistry. I used to have an assay lab where I could run samples for qualitative analysis. That's in the crapper now. You have to jump through hoops to get things like con nitric acid, and just forget anything like potassium cyanide. And if you do manage to get supplies, they make you a target for a raid any time the local cops get a bug up their ass. So no more lab. :(
The world is my oyster. That's why it's always in a stew.
If you want to do science on your own, you can and should incorporate. Be a non-profit if you'd like. The entrenched system which stifles non-university researchers gladly accepts small businesses and NGOs, as long as they have some funding.
The number one thing you should not expect about doing science, at any level, is that it will be cheap, quick or lean. When it comes to science those words mean the same thing as "violating environmental and safety law" or simply doing a piss-poor job.
If you want to do real chemistry or biology work, you will find that renting or begging lab space somewhere will be cheaper than actually making your garage legally suitable.
Hobby chemists who have done nothing illegal are being raided by the police and having their gear seized because it "could be used to make bombs/drugs/fireworks/etc"
Because scientists were once expected to make their own glassware, someone figured "why not let kids learn too?"
So back in the heyday of science kits, you used to be able to buy a glassblowing kit for your kid.
http://www.thestrong.org/online-collections/images/Z002/Z00244/Z0024483.jpg
You reminded me of The Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments: http://chemistry.about.com/library/goldenchem.pdf
They didn't go quite as in depth, but they did mention & show how to create some lab equipment similar to what you're talking about.
You know i had this problem when i wanted 50% H2O2. The lab supplier said no, regardless of what paper work i came up with. But the industrial suppler was like "We don't sell one liter bottles, but 25kg is $50", which was about the same price as 1 liter from the lab suppler. I asked about permits etc. All i needed was a dangerous good vehicle if i was transporting more than 100kg. They also sold me some red fuming HNO3.
Turns out at least in some countries there is a lot of "assumed" laws that don't exist. And lab suppliers seem to be paranoid.
The Grey Goo disaster happened 3 billion years ago. This rock is covered in self replicating machines!