Bert
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Chemistry sets- Changing times...
http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/2015/05/chemistry-sets
I am acquainted with someone who makes modern, fully stocked reproductions of the wood cased Gilbert sets- For a very adult price!
Rapopart’s Rules for critical commentary:
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2. List any points of agreement (especially if they are not matters of general or widespread agreement).
3. Mention anything you have learned from your target.
4. Only then are you permitted to say so much as a word of rebuttal or criticism.
Anatol Rapoport was a Russian-born American mathematical psychologist (1911-2007).
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blogfast25
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Very nice article, Bert!
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aga
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What's an 'Adult Price ' ?
Is it a dodgy thing not involving money ?
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AvBaeyer
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Nice post - thanks.
AvB
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Bert
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It's a price higher than a kid is likely to earn mowing lawns & baby sitting-
HMS Beagle chemistry set
I can't afford one (guess I'm not an adult!), desperately wanted to give this to one of my nephews.
Rapopart’s Rules for critical commentary:
1. Attempt to re-express your target’s position so clearly, vividly and fairly that your target says: “Thanks, I wish I’d thought of putting it
that way.”
2. List any points of agreement (especially if they are not matters of general or widespread agreement).
3. Mention anything you have learned from your target.
4. Only then are you permitted to say so much as a word of rebuttal or criticism.
Anatol Rapoport was a Russian-born American mathematical psychologist (1911-2007).
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j_sum1
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Agreed Bert. This is pretty cool.
What is really heartening is seeing that someone recognises a need for kids to explore the sciences properly and to have access to something more than
just coloured alum crystals.
I note Robert Bruce Thompson's book. I have not actually seen a copy but I am led to believe that it is really good.
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Zephyr
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I recommend searching your local craigslist's, here is a set from the 1960's which I got, although is isn't in the best shape. I think I might try and
restore it sometime...
[Edited on 5-22-2015 by Pinkhippo11]
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Praxichys
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I had a Smithsonian Microchem XM5000 when I was maybe 7 or 8 years old.
I found it to be pretty stupid. All the vials of chems are permanently sealed and designed to be injected with a few ml of distilled water, to be used
as weak solutions.
Of course, I opened the vials anyway. Most the chems in the vials were on some sort of blotter paper. I remember my dissappointment at not being able
to grow CuSO4 crystals like I saw in my Dorling Kindersly Eyewitness book on chemistry.
I learned a lot but I found the kit boring because the most spectacular thing it did was make some colored precipitates and solutions - no smells, no
bangs, no fire, no smoke, no heat. No big foamy volcanoes, no You did everything in this little spot plate with 1 and 5ml wells.
I would have killed for one of those older ones!
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diggafromdover
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I had such a set. I took
a degree in chemistry back in the day, but ended up doing software and only now (at 62) have started reading and experimenting again. The current
chemistry sets are useless and insipid. To inculcate the young in the grand spectacle which is chemistry requires the stinks, bangs, and the risks
which accompany them.
One of the steps on Linus Pauling's road to Nobel had 12 year old Linus buying and using Sodium Cyanide. In our age, Linus would have ended up a
diversity trainer.
Mr. Thompson's book is truly awesome. Glove up and get to it.
[Edited on 22-5-2015 by diggafromdover]
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Molecular Manipulations
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That's nice...
But I want this one.
A steal if you ask me, just wish the addition funnel was pressure-equalized.
-The manipulator
We are all here on earth to help others; what on earth the others are here for I don't know. -W. H. Auden
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Zombie
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That's a beautiful set. I assume your friend had to jump thru some legal hoops to offer it for market...
Not to distract the topic but did you follow the youtube clip to the next one on auto play?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ArqhY9Tu3I 10 Most Dangerous Kids Toys Ever Sold
It's almost ironic...
They tried to have me "put to sleep" so I came back to return the favor.
Zom.
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Magpie
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Or a personal trainer. 
The single most important condition for a successful synthesis is good mixing - Nicodem
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Zombie
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Lame excuses for a jab. Why do people fall into these things... Pet Psychiatrist?
I guess we all can't dig ditches for a living. Eventually we'd run out of dirt.
They tried to have me "put to sleep" so I came back to return the favor.
Zom.
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MrHomeScientist
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Great article. I think the slow decline of quality in chemistry sets is a real shame. The chemistry set that proudly declares "No Chemicals!" really
makes me sad. These sets went from tools to toys, with a corresponding decrease in usefulness and fun.
As I've said before around here, I have Robert Bruce Thompson's book and it's wonderful. Very well laid out and has lots of great experiments and
info. He also gave a talk at the 2008 MakerFaire on chemistry sets that I thought was very good: http://blip.tv/make/robert-bruce-thompson-on-the-demise-of-t...
I also helped fund the HMS Beagle set as a kickstarter project, and received the full compliment of chemicals (but not the luxurious wooden box,
unfortunately). A very wide variety of chemicals in ~25g portions in nice little square glass bottles. It even came with carbon tetrachloride!
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turd
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The chemistry set without chemicals is always good for a laugh.
But isn't it simply the equivalent of "batteries not included", i.e. the parents are supposed to pay the local chemist's a visit?
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MrHomeScientist
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If only those existed anymore! (At least, where I live, I'm the local chemist!)
I think it's different because electronics that come without batteries don't proudly proclaim so on the front of the box in large print!
[Edited on 5-22-2015 by MrHomeScientist]
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prof_genius
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Chemophobic chemistry sets are useless, they probably won't get anyone interested in science, and will probably drive people away from chemistry after
the see the boring color change twice.
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