Comic Chemistry: The Truth About Chemistry Kits

Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal has a comic up today that bemoans the pulling of the teeth of chemistry sets. This has been commented on at length on the internet (LINK) but that does not change the betrayal of science that is captured by removing any risk from the sets.

I received my first chemistry set when I was 12. It was my gateway to DIY science and a remarkable insight for may parents to not only appreciate that I would like a chemistry set but to also purchase one for me.

The problem of course is the potential for lawsuits arising from the use of the equipment and chemicals in the set. And so the sets have been reduced to what the comic implies ... a safe irritant blocking further interest in chemistry.

It also makes me wonder about the curriculum of homeschooled students and how the lab experience of those students could possibly approach that of the experience and possibilities in a structured school lab unless the parents are science adept (and I have to say my experience is that the parents are often the ones getting the A's).

Comment added after initial post:

So, the day after this was posted a blog I follow posted on the solution to the whole problem as available in England. Perhaps soon it will come to Canada.