tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post3999797963869950799..comments2024-03-29T09:05:29.819-04:00Comments on Chemjobber: I still don't know what David Snyder was doingChemjobberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15932113680515602275noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-36169983751897664452013-08-08T01:07:13.141-04:002013-08-08T01:07:13.141-04:00The two anonymous above who say that there is no p...The two anonymous above who say that there is no place for home experimental chemistry are likely shitty scientists. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-57122312470228510402013-07-31T14:32:21.133-04:002013-07-31T14:32:21.133-04:00I'm in total agreement with Anonymous--the day...I'm in total agreement with Anonymous--the days of 'home chemistry lab' should be declared over. Would anyone want to buy a home after it has served in a dual-use capacity? Furthermore, the general public would not be able to see the differences between a home chemistry lab and a meth lab. Perhaps 'home chemists' should be required to file disclosures so that their neighbors understand and approve what is happening in spaces near/above/below them? I'm sure that would sort things out in a timely fashion. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-35364230594475770132013-07-31T14:23:28.850-04:002013-07-31T14:23:28.850-04:00Not to mention everyone's favorite bank robber...Not to mention <a href="http://pipeline.corante.com/archives/2010/12/03/not_on_my_street_i_hope.php" rel="nofollow">everyone's favorite bank robber</a> from San Diego. I think there was also a man who killed himself and his wife and left a massively booby-trapped house of horrors.<br /><br />I'm not sure what the lesson for the San Diego bank robber's landlord was - don't rent to bank robbers or explosives freaks? I guess that's another question prospective renters can lie on.Hapnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-45752107034327996422013-07-31T14:09:08.425-04:002013-07-31T14:09:08.425-04:00As a QA person, I'd say that Snyder successful...As a QA person, I'd say that Snyder successfully completed his IDI (initial demonstration of incompetence).qvxbnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-83944036333403203692013-07-31T12:20:23.938-04:002013-07-31T12:20:23.938-04:00Polymers are neat, but I suspect that most people ...Polymers are neat, but I suspect that most people interested in chemical experimentation at home are interested in things that go bang, or make colors or smells, and a lot of those tend to be toxic to others and/or dangerous. They might not expel enough waste or toxics to be a real danger, but they could complicate the unfortunate homeowner's life who finds them or whoever has to clean their water.<br /><br />I would worry more about small chemical businesses starting out of garages than about curious individuals, though. Given the small company discount (lower pay, no or minimal health care and benefits, etc., and the T2 incident (where it seemed the owners took every step possible to do their work on the cheap even when they knew that they might have had problems), I am unlikely to believe that such busineses would be prudent either about direct safety (not blowing up or killing their neighbors) or about waste disposal (leaving undesired gifts for the neighborhood or future homeowners), and given the fate of most small businesses, would be unlikely to have the money to fix any liabilities they make.<br /><br />I wonder if interested people could work in facilities made for small-scale noncommercial experimentation - like renting a plane for flight lessons. You pay for rental, and for supplies (with the supplies fees presumably covering disposal), and in some cases a proposal (what do you want to do?).(This has been suggested before on In The Pipeline).Hapnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-88052445804992159512013-07-31T12:12:57.169-04:002013-07-31T12:12:57.169-04:00allegedly doingallegedly doingJyllianhttp://cen.acs.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-69111335918777831772013-07-31T12:01:44.899-04:002013-07-31T12:01:44.899-04:00Beth Halford wrote a few years ago about the chall...Beth Halford wrote a few years ago about the challenges faced by home experimentalists:<br />http://cen.acs.org/articles/86/i45/Underground-Science.html<br /><br />CJ is probably right that the Snyder case will not help to quell fears about home labs. That said, I think most people (chemists, certainly) would distinguish between, say, small-scale polymer research in one's basement and tinkering with explosives in an apartment building. (Granted, I don't know the scale of what Snyder was doing.)Jyllianhttp://cen.acs.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-19824914243673941272013-07-31T11:42:01.147-04:002013-07-31T11:42:01.147-04:00I'm interested in this statement. Care to elab...I'm interested in this statement. Care to elaborate further? <br /><br />Re: statement 2 and hazardous waste, you're doubtlessly correct in 95% of cases. That said, would it not be easy enough to declare one's home lab as a CESQG and dispose of said waste properly? Would probably run you $1000/yr in time/costs.Chemjobberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15932113680515602275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-4087660539736278262013-07-31T11:30:21.904-04:002013-07-31T11:30:21.904-04:00There is no room for the home experimental chemist...There is no room for the home experimental chemist. It takes too much resources to do anything meaningful and the threat to the safety of the community is too large (if you think the home experimentalist is handling his waste properly, you're dreaming). <br /><br />Here is the best advice for anyone who wants to do chemistry at home: go buy a copy of Spartan.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-50840950885785092052013-07-31T09:42:25.639-04:002013-07-31T09:42:25.639-04:001) Good point. I wonder if they already have somet...1) Good point. I wonder if they already have something. <br /><br />2) Yes, he did. Chemjobberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15932113680515602275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-29813388301024090422013-07-31T09:39:13.035-04:002013-07-31T09:39:13.035-04:00I'm wondering if it might be useful for ACS to...I'm wondering if it might be useful for ACS to compile a guide for home experimentalists. That might get rid of that gray area.<br /><br />Based on the action of past mass shooters, I think law enforcement is right to be concerned with someone making explosives in their apartment. Didn't James Holmes have his apartment booby-trapped with explosives?Unstable Isotopenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-8879406414117156722013-07-31T08:16:26.605-04:002013-07-31T08:16:26.605-04:00A lot of people used to leave my former employer a...A lot of people used to leave my former employer and start small garage businesses back in the day, making paints or adhesives or similar things. Thanks to government do-gooders, it's now damn near impossible to start a legitimate small business without an army of lawyers and EHS people, and your garage would probably need handicapped-accessible bathrooms among other expensive things.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com