Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Science fairs are as flawed as my solar-powered hot dog cooker
Stat News ^ | 04.13.16 | Carl Zimmer

Posted on 04/13/2016 1:12:08 PM PDT by Behind Liberal Lines

Last fall, my daughter Veronica got an idea for the seventh grade science fair at her school. She’d compare different ways to clean a toothbrush. First she’d take a new toothbrush out of a package and brush her teeth, covering it with her mouth bacteria. Then, she’d clean it with one of three liquids: water, lemon juice, or vinegar. Finally, she’d wipe the brushes on Petri dishes and see how many bacteria grew on them...

Veronica submitted her plan, and then reported back to me that we had to fill out some forms. These forms turned out to be an avalanche of confusing paperwork. We also learned that this experiment was so potentially dangerous that Veronica would have to carry it out under the supervision of a trained expert, who would first have to submit a detailed risk assessment.

(Excerpt) Read more at statnews.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; US: Connecticut
KEYWORDS: bureaucracy; invention; redtape; school; science; scienceeducation
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-72 last
To: Savage Rider
My brother had the idea for a guaranteed bug killer: two blocks of wood.


I thought that was the “Camel Range Extender”...:^)

61 posted on 04/13/2016 5:06:26 PM PDT by az_gila
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Yo-Yo

My youngest brother (now a lawyer - go figure!) used my chemistry set very early one fine 1958 morning to concoct some kind of liquid that, upon exploding, permanently stained our mother’s kitchen ceiling! He later made some powerful black powder firecrackers with that rig.

My nephews inherited my chemistry set, and much to their dismay, were unable to blow up their mother’s kitchen. They claim that their dad (my brother) withheld vital chemicals needed to duplicate their dad’s experiment!

Those were the days! It is a wonder any of us survived our wanton ways!


62 posted on 04/13/2016 8:34:03 PM PDT by Taxman ((H. L. Mencken correctly observed: Government is actually the worst failure of civilized man.))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: Yo-Yo

Had one of those. The cloud chamber was great! The geiger counter worked pretty well. The electroscope hardly worked at all (mostly due to the humid Houston air). And the scintilloscope mostly required lots of imagination to “see” any flashes...


63 posted on 04/13/2016 8:59:14 PM PDT by TXnMA ("Allah: Satan's current alias. "Obama": Allah's current ally...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: euram

LMAO


64 posted on 04/13/2016 9:12:01 PM PDT by Impy (Did you know "Hillary" spelled backwards is "Bitch"?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: euram

Sounds very similar to the ecologically green pest control device: A fly swatter.


65 posted on 04/14/2016 5:05:05 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: NewHampshireDuo
I grew up with Scientific American...

I took the magazine for 30+ years, before it was taken over by the left and it's loonies.

66 posted on 04/14/2016 5:10:12 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 33 | View Replies]

To: Lurker
And the chemistry set my parents bought me in about 1966 would get us all tossed into prison these days.

You can STILL get a LOT of good ingredients at your local Wally World Super Store!

67 posted on 04/14/2016 5:12:14 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies]

To: Purdue77
There were a bunch of kids who lived out in the middle of nowhere,

Beautiful nowhere at that!!


This Indiana boy replaced a waterpump on his 350 chvy engine van on a side street in Gallup; long, long ago...

68 posted on 04/14/2016 5:14:21 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]

To: az_gila

Many scientific items have dual usage.


69 posted on 04/14/2016 5:17:08 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 61 | View Replies]

To: Impy

Nowadays; kids are forced into using mere common products like fertilizer and fuel oil...


70 posted on 04/14/2016 5:18:43 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 64 | View Replies]

To: Elsie

IIRC 1962 to around 2002. The Amateur Scientist with Forest Mims III was good but he got hounded out because he wasn’t an evolutionist. Shawn Carlson took it over and had some good stuff but it was put to rest in 2002. After around 1992 I don’t think I read any of the feature articles in the magazine. For the past 15 or so years, I haven’t even bothered to thumb though one at the magazine stand. Looking at a cover is enough. Sad.


71 posted on 04/14/2016 6:28:58 AM PDT by NewHampshireDuo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 66 | View Replies]

To: NewHampshireDuo

When Rennie came in, it sealed it for me!

http://www.apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=9&article=1046


72 posted on 04/14/2016 10:50:25 AM PDT by Elsie (Heck is where people, who don't believe in Gosh, think they are not going...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 71 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-72 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson