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(Florida) Teen Girl Expelled, Charged With a Felony After Science Experiment Goes Awry
Yahoo News ^ | May 2, 2013

Posted on 05/02/2013 9:48:34 AM PDT by Zakeet

Science experiments don't always go the way they are intended. This, a 16-year-old Florida teenager knows all too well.

This week, Kiera Wilmot went to school and mixed some household chemicals in a tiny 8-ounce water bottle. It looked like a simple chemistry project but then the top popped off when a small explosion occurred.

Wilmot, who is in good standing as a student, said it was an accident. The Bartow High School principal told a local television station that the teen made a “bad choice” and called her a a good kid who has never previously been in trouble.

“Honestly, I don't think she meant to ever hurt anyone,” Principal Ron Pritchard told a Tampa Bay television station. “She wanted to see what would happen [when the chemicals mixed] and was shocked by what it did. Her mother is shocked too.”

In another era, Wilmot may have gotten scolded and sent back to class. But in this age of zero-tolerance policies, Wilmot is in deep trouble. She was arrested on Monday morning after the incident and charged with possession and discharge of a weapon on school property and discharging a destructive device.

In turn, she was expelled and will finish her high school years in an expulsion program.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Florida
KEYWORDS: chemistry; highschool; science; zerotolerance
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To: Elderberry; Boogieman
"I didn’t know that! I had used Sodium Hydroxide and aluminum in the past to generate hydrogen for balloons."

The posted article said that "the top popped off when a small explosion occurred." "8-ounce water bottle," and making a safe assumption that it was plastic? Was there any spark near it? I'd be much more concerned about a lead-acid battery.

Anyone driving a car is trying to blow people up! And we know that any explosion caused by a car battery would be no accident! Car battery blows up, go to jail! ;-)


61 posted on 05/02/2013 12:33:51 PM PDT by familyop (We Baby Boomers are croaking in an avalanche of rotten politics smelled around the planet.)
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To: familyop

“You haven’t seen so much as news of any good evidence or testimony that it wasn’t an accident. And the news media are often hysterical and incorrect.”

Hence why I prefaced the comment with “if it’s true”.

“It’s not well known, because most people aren’t interested.”

It’s well known, just not to you, but it is certainly well known. I’m sure I could ask 10 leftie college students what a “drano bomb” was, and at least 3-4 of them would know. I’d say that is “well known”.

“People combine all kinds of hazardous mixes without knowing what results will be.”

Sure, but they don’t follow the exact recipe and steps contained in popular bomb-making manuals, unless they are trying to follow the instructions to make a bomb.


62 posted on 05/02/2013 1:00:40 PM PDT by Boogieman
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To: Burkean
The experiment was conducted in a school yard away from the building and away from students. No one was injured in the incident.

That detail is from Fox News.

NOT in the classroom. Not under teacher supervision.

I'm sorry. I can see the school's point of view on this one.

63 posted on 05/02/2013 1:05:20 PM PDT by Alex in chains
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To: Boogieman
"It’s well known, just not to you, but it is certainly well known."

"...just not to" me? So you've been omnipresent for a long time, too. Very interesting.

" I’m sure I could ask 10 leftie college students what a 'drano bomb' was, and at least 3-4 of them would know. I’d say that is 'well known'."

Impressive assumption and sample.


64 posted on 05/02/2013 1:45:05 PM PDT by familyop (We Baby Boomers are croaking in an avalanche of rotten politics smelled around the planet.)
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To: Elderberry
Yep, a ban on all expanding/exploding experiments. Volcanoes were specifically mentioned.

“Where will that lead to next?”

If the barbarians don't destroy civilization first, it will eventually lead to people being enclosed in “bubbles” and only interacting with each other in a completely realistic virtual world. All the “real world” tasks would be performed by robots while humans reside in “the matrix”, a virtual utopia with no consequences and infinite "lives".

65 posted on 05/02/2013 2:04:47 PM PDT by varyouga
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To: familyop

“So you’ve been omnipresent for a long time, too. Very interesting.”

I don’t need to be omnipresent to know if something is “well known”.


66 posted on 05/02/2013 2:14:24 PM PDT by Boogieman
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To: Red Badger
Public School is to education what a Public restroom is to hygiene...........

That is a perfect analogy.

67 posted on 05/02/2013 9:52:36 PM PDT by Ronaldus Magnus
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