[possiblydrunk]

It's a pity that governments have deemed 'interesting' chemistry an illegitimate hobby. Many chemists and biologists I know were inspired as kids by potentially risky chemical reactions - they were fun :). My boss grew up in the UK, relished those experiments growing up, and said they led him to eventually complete a PhD in chemistry. He later went on to win a Nobel Prize (as a molecular biologist, though). Maybe we've made the world safer, but I wonder how many potential great chemists will never get inspired and avoid the field.

[Gordonjcp]

The UK did have a unique problem with "amateur chemists" when I was growing up though, and even now the shadow of Republicanism means I need to keep all the nitrate fertiliser and tractor diesel securely locked up.

[fnordpiglet]

But think about all the valuable product managers we have instead!

[epicureanideal]

The valuable ones are so rare as to be counted on one hand.

(And likely even if that hand were missing several fingers from mistakes in amateur chemistry.)

[adrian_b]

Yes, when I was a child, I also have made a large number of chemical experiments, guided by the many old books and magazines describing chemical experiments that were available by then.

Those have been among the most memorable events of my childhood, along with building various simple electronic devices. Both kinds of activities had a major influence on my later professional education.

I agree with the parent article that this seems much more difficult to do now, at least casually, unless you are already very committed to attempt to do such things and to circumvent any obstacles.

[gnull]

Don't governments allow it when it's done under supervision?

[refurb]

At least in the US there are no regulations specifically stopping you from amateur chemistry.

The challenges tend to be:

- it’s hard (not impossible) to procure some chemicals because most suppliers will only sell to businesses

- there are regulations around safety hazards like storage of flammable liquid in residential area (these are good regulations, I’d rather my neighbor isn’t storing 20 gals of ether for example)

- there are regulations around manufacturing explosives (even in tiny quantities)

But that said, there is nothing stopping someone from jumping through the needed hoops. Incorporate a business (not very expensive), get a license from the ATF (mostly time to do paperwork and stuff - like buying a machine gun), follow fire regulations.

The other option is to just procure chemicals through other products. Naphtha is basically a mixture of hexanes. You can buy a lot of nitrate salts used for food or gardening. It’s not hard to procure metals.

[hutzlibu]

Yes, in the very restricted setting of schools, where the concept of "fun" is usually not included, but rather avoided at all cost.

[SoftTalker]

I recall many of the described experiments from high school chemistry labs. That was in the 1980s though. My kids did the "silver mirror" at least in recent years.

[AuryGlenz]

Maybe, but while my high school chemistry teacher okayed me making a small batch of nitroglycerin, the principal very much did not.