Flutterby™! : Bang! 2010-01-12 19:30:04.592135+00

Bang!

2010-01-12 19:30:04.592135+00 by Dan Lyke 5 comments

So on Sunday afternoon, Forest and a few friends came over and we made nitrogen tri-iodide. First attempts to purify iodine out of potassium iodide failed (will have to try this again), so we went and got the little brown bottles of the tincture from the drug store, and pulled out a fairly dirty elemental iodine using the hydrochloric acid (available as "muriatic acid" from your favorite home improvement store) and hydrogen peroxide.

Dropped chunks of that in ammonia, mixed thoroughly, poured through a coffee filter, and... well...

It was cold on Sunday. And overcast. And humid. And that danged coffee filter didn't dry for anything. So we pulled out a hair dryer and started blowing it at the coffee filter. Shortly we heard snapping and crackling, and we realized that the stuff was exploding as it dried and the air hit it.

So we stood around for a little while, and then said "wait, what if we turn the coffee filter over so the paper is protecting the explosive from the air currents?" So we did, and we continued drying the stuff, looking around for other interesting things, when all of a sudden there was a loud "snap" simultaneous to holes appearing in the bottom of the coffee filter.

We resolved to try the whole process again when there was sun and a chance that the stuff would dry out on its own.

But there were a few additional snaps and cracks as I was sweeping up the surface.

An interesting coincidence! I had just sent my daughter an email about the natural alliance of grandparents and grandchildren against their respective children/parents to work off unresolved hostilities. NI3 explosions were the very first item I mentioned, along with stink bombs, sling shots, a Daisy Red Rider, and so on. Unfortunately my grandson is only two, so it will be a couple of years before I can pry him away from my daughter for what will ostensibly be a week in the country. But will rather be a opportunity to explore the appropriate heritage for his age and gender. I have hopes for the appearance of a granddaughter for whom I would do exactly the same.

Garrett Wade has The Dangerous Book for Boys Series available on its website. The promo lists "How about Spies-Codes & Ciphers, Making a Battery, Building a Workbench, Sampling Shakespeare, Skipping Stones, Fishing, Dog Tricks, Juggling..." Some of these are definitely boy things, but dangerous? Unless the Shakespeare refers to the Othello quote of "making the beast with two backs", I can't see many boys being particularly interested in that section.

Boyhood and girlhood are suffering mightily in this time of political correctness and a search for absolute safety.

"Boyhood and girlhood are suffering mightily in this time of political correctness and a search for absolute safety."

Good line, I find they are rebelling with a tendancy towards more violence and sex in fantasy and cyberland. It's an explosive under pressure, when they go off in reality, it'll be bad. Heard a great line a few days ago from a 20-something: "3rd base is now fucking, a home run is exchanging names and phone numbers afterwards."

I'll have to get the info on this book the neighbor kid across the way brought over last night, because although it was full-color and glossy and recent, it had all sorts of activities that I'd hesitate before doing, things involving lead and mercury and such.

We settled for making copper penny shells by dissolving out the zinc with hydrochloric acid. And I think I'll be seeing if I can find a dry cleaning bag to do something fun with the hydrogen, although I'm going to insist on parental involvement on that: I'm just not up to wrangling short attention span kids around dangerous stuff.

So i think there's a swing back towards sanity, at least in some circles. But the kids across the street are also Waldorf students, so there's a bit more focus on exploring the physical world and learning from direct experience than with many children.

You, and those who come in contact with you, are NOT anywhere close to the norms of the society. Wish there was more of you to go around. ;)

As soon as I get done destroying.. er.. remodelling the house, I need to get the mad scientist lab set back up in the garage.

#Comment Re: made: 2010-01-13 17:44:38.333837+00 by: m [edit history]

"You, and those who come in contact with you, are NOT anywhere close to the norms of the society." meuon

That is obvious from the topics on the board and the comments. Reminds me of a line from a song in "The Fantastics", an off Broadway play that ran for 50 years".