Dave Roos
Appearances
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
And it was about $1.50 to maybe $10 if you were pretty well-heeled, because that's about $40 to $300 today. So some pretty decent money you'd have to throw down on the high-end chemistry set back then. These had test tubes by this point. You had an alcohol lamp. Of course, you had your weights and balances, and you had lots of chemicals.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
Yeah, it's funny. Like the literal quote was keeping your face at a little distance. And the first three times I read that, I read it as keeping your little face at a distance. Oh, I wish they'd said that.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
It was it should have been keep your little face at a great distance because that was dangerous. There was also something called fire ink. which is exactly what you think is you would combine. Well, you may not know what you combine, but you know what the result probably is. You combine potassium nitrate and water in a test tube and then write on a piece of paper and light that on fire.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
And, you know, what you have spelled out is now on fire.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
Yeah, but you would also probably be more likely to write butthole or something like that than, hey, how are you?
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
Well, there was another experiment. This is so fun. It's called making a fuse. And that's basically all you need to know. It's like, you know, you can probably make things that'll blow up, so you're going to need a fuse.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
Yeah. You found another some cool research on like just how dangerous some of these chemicals were, right?
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
Yeah. What else? Well, one thing you could do that was fun is you could make smoke bombs.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
With that potassium nitrate, which is, I don't know if you mentioned, it's also in gunpowder. True. So a lot of these experiments were like, watch it flame, spark, or boom in a small way.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
You know who got good at that is a friend of the show and and pal of ours in real life, David Reese. Oh, yeah. He got into circuitry and like building and refurbishing old like musical electronics and pedals and stuff like that.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
Yeah. And speaking of glass or even some chemistry sets that had the material and instruction for blowing glass, which is no doubt a super cool, awesome thing to learn. But it's, you know, it's not something a kid should be trying in their bedroom.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
And as we're saying all this, we should point out that these early kits and sets did not offer things like eye protection, like not even a little pair of like fun goggles, you know, like, hey, kid, these are cute and fun. You look like a real scientist if you wear these, like just didn't come with them.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
And the whole thing with, you know, that we tied it into earlier with magic, a lot of them have like, here's your science experiments you can do, but also here's some just really fun, like sort of literal magic tricks you can do.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
All right. That was very insured, but we're doing it anyway. We'll be right back.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
I think it's How to Sharpen Pencils. He also had a great TV show that I'm not sure if you can find it, but you can try called Going Deep with David Reese. Man, it's so good. You know, it's like how to shake someone's hand, stuff like that. Seems very intuitive, but not through David's odd point of view.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
All right, so you're getting these chemistry sets, another big part of the whole sort of branding thing for these companies making these. And this was just sort of big back in those days and like the 1950s was like clubs, like kids clubs. So if you got a chemistry set, it was pretty good chance it would come with like a membership in like a science club.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
And there could be local chapters that you get together with your friends and things you could mail in for. Probably a magazine is involved. like a quarterly magazine, certainly in the case of Chemcraft. They had the science club, and the Chemcraft chemist was their rag that they sent out, which was usually just ads for more stuff to buy.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
But they were kind of fun little stories where a kid would save the day through some cool chemistry experiment.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
And he can build the heck out of a circuit. I bet you he had a chemistry set, too.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
Yeah. And it had a little asterisk. And at the very bottom, it said, must have penis.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
Yeah. This is 1920. Yeah. Yeah. So they found an instruction manual, not from the 1920 edition, but from 1936. And this one finally did have a warning here, and we should read this because this is pretty fun. Gilbert chemistry sets are not intended for children who cannot read and understand the accompanying instruction books.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
The sets do not contain dangerous poisons, and the chemicals mentioned in this manual are not embraced under the term poisons. They're perfectly safe to use if... handled carefully and intelligently. They're not intended to be taken by mouth or swallowed, and no intelligent person would be expected to use them for such purposes. So they're shaming at the same time.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
It is necessary, however, to emphasize the fact that carelessness on the part of the experimenter can always lead to trouble.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
Exactly. And then they have a few tips at the end, like, you know, never point the open end of a test tube that you're heating at anybody. Never just put your nose at the end of one while heating to smell it or put your face, your little face near it.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
At least looking over his shoulder with your pipe in your mouth.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
uh so we talked a little bit about the sort of sexism involved with all this stuff is only marketed to boys pictures of boys literally on the package for boys in some cases uh that was just the deal was like boys were scientists uh girls were not considered for science that is still a problem there are so many initiatives these days
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
But this is pretty fun when we're going to talk about the history of chemistry sets, which, believe it or not, go back to the 18th century when they were called chemical chests. But this was pre let's make this a toy for kids. It was like, hey, if you're a university student or a professional or amateur young chemist, budding chemist. Do you like to wear capes? Yeah, exactly. You like a smock?
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
to get young girls into science at a young age, very successfully, you know, in a lot of cases. But it's still a challenge to be a woman in the world of science. I think we've heard from plenty of listeners who have verified that. But in the 1920s, they did, the Porter Chemical Company did say, hey, we're selling these things to boys. What about the girls?
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
And they were like, oh, how about sachet craft? The girls' sachet outfit, which was chemistry in that it was a way to mix perfumes.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
So eventually in the 1960s, Gilbert finally was like, all right, let's make a four girls chemistry set. But even then, in the books and stuff, it was like, so you too can become a lab technician.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
Yeah, like not, you know, they weren't encouraging you to like reach for the stars and become a scientist.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
Yeah, the two slogans changed in the 50s and 60s. For Kim Kraft, they changed it to Porter Science Prepares Young America for World Leadership. And Gilbert responded in kind with Today's Adventures in Science Will Create Tomorrow's America. And it was this idea, like I think even A.C. Gilbert, the founder, like included a note. that said, hello, boys. It said, hello, boys.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
The need for chemists is greater now than at any point in our country's history. This Gilbert chemistry set may well be the means of launching you on a useful and well-paying career. So it was like, hey, this is a toy, but if you're interested in science, just wait, because there's a career out there waiting for you.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
That, of course, was from the great Saturday Night Live from the 70s, I think, Dan Aykroyd. But we did, or maybe you did, back in the day when we were tasked with doing, what do we call them, image galleries?
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
and you did something on dangerous toys, and I think this was in there, because I remember we talked about it either there or in maybe a podcast or one of the videos we used to do about the Atomic Energy Lab. It had real uranium in it.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
I did not get a chance to look over this, so feel free.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
Well, the ones that came with uranium, they had, you know, booklets. One was called Prospecting for Uranium that taught you how to mine a radioactive ore. So you're thinking like, all right, like how literally how dangerous was this? There have been modern calculations about, you know, what was contained in these boxes. And supposedly the amount of radiation contained
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
from the uranium in one of these sets equaled about a day of UV exposure from the sun. So it's not the most dangerous thing in the world, but it is pretty funny that it came with actual uranium.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
Yeah, and it's exposure, but like, what if it's on your skin or gets in your body somehow?
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
Yeah. And here's the thing. It was just kind of fun. We won't read through all these quotes, but a lot of, you know, legit Nobel winning chemistry chemists over the years got their start in chemistry sets. I imagine a lot of real deal scientists and chemists had these things when they were kids. And we'll read one from Oliver Sacks.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
Uh, the neurologist and author said, I do not think there can be any adequate substitute for having a chemistry set or a little chemistry lab and doing experiments oneself, uh, thinking them out, taking responsibility for them and occasionally facing risks too. So Oliver Sacks talking about risk was one of the big sort of cells of chemistry sets for kids, like a little bit of danger involved, uh,
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
And they were fun and all, but I think it was that little bit of like, you are making fire, you are making things go boom or smoke. That was one of the things that appealed to kids and probably still does.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
Yeah, for sure. In 66, Congress passed the Child Protection Act, which, you know, all of a sudden you could ban a toy that had something dangerous or hazardous in there. A couple of years later, the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, they estimated that toys, just all toys, cost about $700,000.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
injuries a year so more regulations were passed in the late 60s and early 70s uh 70s for like you said just protecting kids from dangers and toys and what these toys were made of in the case of chemistry sets uh like the chemicals that were in there
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
Yeah, for sure. And that, I mean, I guess my brother would have had one probably from the 70s. So it may have still been a little bit legit. But yeah, in the 80s, they started literally watering them down, watering down the chemicals. Things, you know, became plastic. Like you didn't get glass test tubes and metal scales and stuff like that anymore. Like, you know, the old kits were...
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
just sort of smaller condensed versions of like the real deal. And that all changed. They just became cheaper, kind of like everything else. I think in 2001, there was a recall of a set called Professor Wacko's Exothermic Exuberance that had glycerin and potassium. What is that word? Permanganate? Yeah, okay, great. And that could cause things to catch on fire and spontaneously combust.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
And, again, this thing wasn't a toy. It had 35 chemicals, had a very robust, like, balance, you know, like a balance for weighing things. It had a mortar and pestle, of course. It had a book, and this is kind of, as you'll see, a key with all chemistry sets is they come with a book of experiments. Otherwise, you're just going to be dangerous.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
This particular kit had containers with removable lids, but they weren't labeled. So kids were mislabeling things or just getting them confused basically because there were no labels and there were two separate house fire incidents. So that one was recalled and that was, I mean, that was in the early 2000s. It was surprising those were still around.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
In other words, boring. This is the irony here. Despite that it had no chemicals, it had two kinds of safety goggles, the goggles and those little clear safety glasses made out of whatever they're made out of, the non-shat or something.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
Dave did a little research, though, and found that there are some pretty good ones today that you can still get. There are some companies that are, you know, trying to make a safe version of a real deal chemistry set these days. This one called, I don't know, it's Tim's or Thames in this case. And Cosmos with a K. It's called the Chem C3000. Wow. 280 bucks plus money for chemicals.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
You might be anyway, but this one had about 150 experiments. And interestingly, it had this platinum foil included that they would not include now because this stuff was very valuable. I believe in today dollars it would be worth about $1,000. Wow.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
I got nothing else. You know, support science for your kids, little girls, little boys. Give them a chemistry set. Very nice. That's what I say.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
I'm going to call this all caught up. Hey, everybody. Got hooked on your show in 2019. After a few weeks of listening, I decided I had to listen to all of it. And after five years, I finally have completed that task. Just finished listening to the Judas Priest suicide trial.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
During a morning trail run, and now I feel like I have a little void in my life, you guys. Having to wait patiently throughout the week for new content. I often listen for hours on end during trail runs, training for ultramarathons. By the way, Josh has many times called them ultrathons, which never fails to give me a chuckle.
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Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
Yeah, I like Ultrathon. Your voices and content, guys, always keep me in a positive mood, even when I'm at the point of exhaustion. You've been with me and my wife through some big life events, our marriage. Multiple cross-country moves, new jobs, and now a new baby in a few weeks.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
And by the time this comes out, that baby will be around, I would imagine, because we're ahead by a few weeks at this point. So keep up the great work, guys. I can continue to share this and enjoy it with my family as it grows by one. Maybe a long shot, but I'd love to see a live show up here in Halifax, Nova Scotia, that you get a couple hundred people in a room here. That's for Matt.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
Well, Matt, we got a couple of hundred people in a room in Atlanta.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
Yeah, not bad. It's like when the professor wrote the book that you're in your textbook. One little just sort of fun fact that Dave threw in here was this was pre-test tube. They didn't have test tubes yet. So in both of these early 18th century chemistry chests, they said to use wine glasses.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
Yeah. I mean, there were and we've talked about this before, like scientific demonstrations in the 19th century could be everything from just like straight up science to a little little magic, a little showmanship involved, a little flair. People like Faraday were doing stuff like this in public. There was a chemist named Frederick Ackham, I guess, A-C-C-U-M.
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Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
who would do these big public demonstrations that were, you know, kind of part magic show, part science. And you could even buy one of his sets. He had a chemistry set. I don't think they were called chests at this point. It was. Oh, it was still called the chest? Oh, yeah. There it is in the title. Akum's Chest of Chemical Amusement. Again, which, you know, lends itself to amusement.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
I think that was the booklet was called Chemical Amusement, colon, a series of curious and instructive experiments in chemistry which are easily performed and unattended by danger.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
Yeah, for sure. And all of this, you know, talk of sort of magic and fun is a is a long way to get to the fact that by the sort of. Early 1800s and like 1835, they started saying, hey, these like we should sell these to kids. These are fun.
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Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
Exactly. There's one called the Edie's Youth Laboratory from 1835. A few years later was Statham Students Chemical Laboratory. And then by 1856, they had one called Pike's Youth Chemical Cabinet.
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Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
That's right. You thought of this one, and Dave helped us out with the research on chemistry sets. I will go ahead and just say that I never had a chemistry set, but you know darn well that somebody in my family did.
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Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
Yeah, I would love to see a Venn diagram of Gen X kids who had chemistry sets, who could pull a rabbit out of a hat or a card out of somebody's ear and knew how to do the Rubik's Cube and draw a flip book. That's the trifecta. Yeah, that was my brother in a nutshell.
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Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
primate definitions and words and found out that primus is the root word for primate so they went with primus instead look at that one of my most hated bands of all time really yeah i hate primus and you know what i'm gonna hear from primus fans oh yeah you are not yucking your yum i i love for you to love what you love but i've got to be able to hate primus as well sure
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
No. I'm sure they're great for certain ears. It's just not mine.
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Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
No. Okay. All right. They all sound the same to me. They all sound like... His bass just all sounds like... That was a really good impression, actually. And all the singing just sounds like... Yeah, that's definitely true, too.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
No, I don't like it. It checks out. One of my very best friends loves Primus, and so, you know, we can all coexist.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
Yeah, exactly. A lot of my friends are Primus fans. All right. Let's take a break and we'll enter the 20th century right after this. Sure.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
Of course he did. He was voted most likely to have a chemistry set in preschool.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
No, I mean, I just remember him having it and it being around the house. And, you know, he's just always had a more scientifically minded brain than me and has always been smarter than me from the drop. So he was into chemistry sets and I was into, you know, baseball cards.
Stuff You Should Know
Kids' Chemistry Sets: KABOOM!
That's just the way it was back then. And we'll get to more of that sort of weird sexism in science that still continues today in a little bit. But one of the big players, there were a couple of big ones. The first one was the Chemcraft Company. Chemcraft chemistry set in 1916 was the first really sort of popular toy chemistry set produced by the Porter Chemical Company out of Maryland.