DID YOU KNOW?

Did you know...the Beagle has numerous samples of chemical elements ranging from lithium (Li) the lightest metal to bismuth (Bi) the heaviest of the non-radioactive elements? The element samples are packaged in one-tenth gram-atomic weight sizes. For lithium that's less than 0.7 grams to more than 21 grams for bismuth. Those who collect chemical element samples should enjoy our large selection.
Of course, sodium and potassium samples are the Beagle's biggest sellers with magnesium powder close behind.

HELP WANTED

H.M.S. Beagle has lost a valuable employee as of yesterday. Tara (many of you know her) has gone to work at the Kansas City Zoo; they have gotten a real asset by hiring her. Anyway, the Beagle is looking for a person to work part-time. This person must have a science back ground, but it isn't necessary that they have a specific degree. A student in the sciences will usually fit the bill. While we don't have a specific field of expertise for which we're searching, someone versed in geology and/or biology would be great.
We need someone to work Tuesday, Thursday and Friday evenings as well as Saturdays. These are the minimum needs, more hours can usually be given as the season and business dictates.
We need a person who is out-going, friendly, cheery, condifent, well-spoken and clean. Non-smokers are preferred. We will provide all necessary training. The usual identity requirements as well as references (which will be checked) will be needed. Please contact the Beagle at clk@hms-beagle.com or call us at 816-587-9998. You may fax a resume to 816-587-9997.

Hmmm...It appears as if Sen. McCain's pick for veep may be a creationist. This link, http://scienceblogs.com/afarensis/2006/10/27/intelligent_design_and_the_ala/, was received from Jason Grill (who we saw last night at the Obama watch party at O'Dowd's in Zona Rosa). Check it out, and please post your comments here. We'd like to hear what you have to say.

HMS Beagle Science Blog: Home Laboratories Under Attack?

HMS Beagle Science Blog: Home Laboratories Under Attack?

Here's a link to the Beagle website's pdf that concerns the care and feeding of a home laboratory. Please understand that this is an on-going publishing project and that the document at the end of this link is subject to regular and frequent updating: http://www.hms-beagle.com/PDFs/HomeLaboratory3.pdf

Home Laboratories Under Attack?

That's right, it seems home laboratories may be coming under attack, at least in some parts of the US, and we don't mean underground, clandestine meth labs. We mean legitimate, amateur, home experimentor's laboratories. Here's the text from a recent post on the Make Magazine blog (http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2008/08/home_science_under_attack.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890):

"The Worcester Telegram & Gazette reports that Victor Deeb, a retired chemist who lives in Marlboro, has finally been allowed to return to his Fremont Street home, after Massachusetts authorities spent three days ransacking his basement lab and making off with its contents.
Deeb is not accused of making methamphetamine or other illegal drugs. He's not accused of aiding terrorists, synthesizing explosives, nor even of making illegal fireworks. Deeb fell afoul of the Massachusetts authorities for ... doing experiments.
Authorities concede that the chemicals found in Deeb's basement lab were no more hazardous than typical household cleaning products. Despite that, authorities confiscated "all potentially hazardous chemicals" (which is to say the chemicals in Deeb's lab) from his home, and called in a hazardous waste cleanup company to test the chemicals and clean up the lab.
Pamela Wilderman, the code enforcement officer for Marlboro, stated, "I think Mr. Deeb has crossed a line somewhere. This is not what we would consider to be a customary home occupation."
Allow me to translate Ms. Wilderman's words into plain English: "Mr. Deeb hasn't actually violated any law or regulation that I can find, but I don't like what he's doing because I'm ignorant and irrationally afraid of chemicals, so I'll abuse my power to steal his property and shut him down."
In effect, the Massachusetts authorities have invaded Deeb's lab, apparently without a warrant, and stolen his property. Deeb, presumably under at least the implied threat of further action, has not objected to the warrantless search and the confiscation of his property. Or perhaps he's just biding his time. It appears that Deeb has grounds for a nice juicy lawsuit here.
There's a lesson here for all of us who do science at home, whether we're home schoolers or DIY science enthusiasts. The government is not our friend. Massachusetts is the prototypical nanny state, of course, but the other 49 aren't far behind. Any of us could one day find the police at the door, demanding to search our home labs. If that day comes, I will demand a warrant and waste no time getting my attorney on the phone.
There's a word for what just happened in Massachusetts. Tyranny. And it's something none of us should tolerate."

As you know H.M.S. Beagle is all about home laboratories and giving support and encouragement to parents and students who want to explore the sciences at home. Please post your thoughts and opinions. We think that we should be encouraging our law makers to take the same stand on the support and encouragement of home laboratories. Stop and think for a moment of all of the home schoolers, to mention one important group, who have set up and performed experiments at home for their children. We recently tutored a home-schooled high school student in chemistry. We helped with the "book" part of the lesons and his parents did all the "lab" part at home.

New Chemicals for Experimenters

At The Beagle we're always getting in new products and we add new chemicals to our BenchMark branded chemicals nearly every week. These new chemicals are added, in part, to meet a demand we have from our customers and in part to make available new chemicals for experimenters. This week have added these new chemicals:

Sodium Polyacrylate ("Water Lock"), 40 grams

Stevia Leaves Extract, 85% Sweet Powder, 15 grams

Potassium Hydroxide, 5% w/v Solution (for mushroom identification), 25 mL

Iron (II) Sulfate, 10% w/v (Ferrous Sulfate) Solution (for mushroom identification), 25 mL

Cotton Blue, 5 grams

Aniline Blue, 5 grams

Sodium Polyacrylate ("Water Lock") is most often used in classrooms to show how a small amount of a solid can absorb relatively enormous volumes of water and still remain as a solid. This is the material used in disposable diapers, a soil additive to lock in water and prevent its rapid evaporation from flower pots, and as a culture medium (mixed with other chemicals) for soilless growing of plants.

Stevia Leaves Extract is a substance derived from Stevia rebaudiana an annual plant that has a sweet constituent in its leaves and stems that is being studied as a replacement for sucrose (cane sugar) as well as for synthetic sweetners such as aspertame.

Potassium Hydroxide, 5% w/v Solution and Iron (II) Sulfate, 10% w/v (Ferrous Sulfate) Solution are both used by professional and amateur mushroom hunters to identify certain types and species of mushrooms. When a drop or two of either of these solutions is placed on selected parts of a mushroom color changes occur that are indicative of different types of mushrooms.

Cotton Blue and Aniline Blue are both biological stains and by adding these two products to our line we now have a fairly extensive range of such dyes in both the dry from and as solutions.

A word about our chemical products' purity: The BenckMark brand chemicals are usually repackaged from A.C.S. Reagent grade chemicals. In addition, the solutions we package are made from reagent grade chemicals and totally deionized water. However, some of our chemicals are repackaged from technical grade bulk. In particular our Potassium Nitrate (Saltpeter) is a technical grade material. From time to time our customers have commented on the differences in performance between our products and a supposedly identical product from a different supplier. Recently one of our customers who recycles gold and platinum told us a tale of how his partner had switched from our Zinc, Powder to another brand when precipitating platinum. He said the process bubbled up and produced a froth with unusual foreign substances in it and the entire batch was ruined. While we don't usually guarantee any given chemical we sell for a particular use, we can advise our customers on the suitability of most of our chemicals for a particular use.

Jason Grill and Evolution

A notice from state representative Jason Grill was received via e-mail today. In it he states he is hosting a town hall-style meeting at Park University this coming Wednesday July 16th. It is to be at 7:00 pm at Park University's McCoy Meetin' House (8700 Northwest River Park Drive, Parkville, MO 64152). I will try to be there.

Earlier this year, the actor Ben Stein presented a screening of his anti-science movie Expelled to the state's governor and some state legislators, mostly Republicans, in the capitol building. Stein's purpose was to boost his view that evolution should not be taught in the state's schools. By Stein's own admission, he doesn't fully understand evolution. I hope to convince Rep. Grill that events such as these are real threats and that he needs to display a stiff backbone when challenged by some Republicans' desires to officially water down the teaching of science in Missouri schools and insert the teaching of supernaturalism. Specifically, he needs to be encouraged to stand up against those in the House who want to bring in the teaching of creationism/intelligent design instead of the scientific theory of natural selection. I have specifically offered to assist him and his staff in preparing for the expected onslaught against reason and logic by the superstitious.

To help you understand the issue, it is always a good idea to understand the scientific side. There are so many misconceptions out there that they can be likened to a whack-a-mole game. As soon as one is hammered down another pops up elsewhere. A customer came in the Beagle yesterday and saw an Astronomy magazine cover about the Big Bang. He turned around and said, "the Big Bang, huh?, That's about evolution right?" I informed him that the Big Bang theory had nothing to do with evolution and quickly explained how the former was a theory about how the early universe formed and the later was about how life on earth has changed over time and that neither theory was about how life on earth began.

On our website you can find the paper "Some facts about evolution" that may be useful to those wanting to learn more on the subject.