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Where Have All The Chemists Gone by Sarah Gentili

I have a nephew who has expressed an interest in science and computers. Wanting to encourage this, I decided I would began investigating the purchasing of a chemistry set for him for Christmas. What I discovered was unsettling. Since 9/11 laws had been past that prevent individuals from purchasing certain chemicals. Beyond that, many retailers stopped carrying children’s chemistry sets. The products that a consumer sees lining the shelves in stores today boost “non-chemical” chemistry sets, with cartoon characters warning about the danger of using things like baking soda.

I remember spending many hours as a child, between the ages of eight and twelve, doing experiments with my father’s old chemistry set. My parents, for the most part left me to my own devises. After one minor incident where my brother and I singed our eyebrows, we both survived to young adulthood with all our limbs and no serious psychological damage. I grew out of the chemistry set and carried my interest in science into adulthood. I believe it was because I was left to explore the world with my chemistry set, that I grew up to be the person I am today. The way I analyze, interpret, and handle the world around me goes back to the out-of-box thinking I learned as a child.

Unfortunately, I do not think this is something I am going to be able to share with my nephew. I searched high and low for the supplies I would need to create a chemistry set similar to the one I had when I was young. Not only were the chemicals not available, the beakers and instruction books are not available. The beakers have been removed from many stores because they can be used by people making meth and other drugs. The instruction books that offer different experiments for the home chemist to try out have been out of print for years.

We live in a world dominated by fear. We have seen many terrible things in the past few years. It is important for us as a society to be vigilant against possible threats. However, there is such a thing as overkill. If we discourage young people from exploring science and the world around them, will they be interested in the scientific fields as an adult?

What happens when we change the science programs in science classes at the middle school and high school levels, so students do not get hands-on experience and teachers have to lock up vinegar in the main office? The answer is frightening. The result will be that young people will not develop interests in sciences like chemistry and will not pursue careers in these type of fields. This is a said statistic that is bearing fruits now. The number of young people going into scientific fields has dropped drastically over the years. In other countries however, the numbers have grown.

Frustrated with the retail chains, I turned my attention online. What I discovered was appalling. There are only a few companies out there that sell chemicals online at a decent price. One company, United Nuclear, that caters to teachers and hobbyists is facing charges for selling basic chemicals over state lines. The Internet is littered with chemistry enthusiasts who, afraid of government interference, create alias and screen names for themselves in order to keep their anonymity. The last thing they want is for some good citizen to mistake them for a terrorist or drug dealer.

This Christmas, I am going to have to settle for standard presents for my nephew. Video games, toys and lumpy sweaters. Apparently, the days of the chemistry sets and time when experimentation and learning having given way to more political correct times. Hopefully, this is just another trend in our society and not permanent..

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