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23-Apr-20 20:54

It is a bit too advanced for my kids right now, but I am keeping it for the future.
It might give some nice distractions for primary school children that are a bit curious about the world.
The book is a bit old but it is really nicely explained and with a lot of illustrations.

The download is free and you can find it in the word "PDF" in the last sentence of this text.
Download the Golden Book of Chemistry Experiments[^] or
here the direct link[^] :

M.D.V.

If something has a solution... Why do we have to worry about?. If it has no solution... For what reason do we have to worry about?
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Rage23-Apr-20 22:04

Rage

23-Apr-20 22:04

Wow this is old ! I am missing the page where you can turn lead in gold Poke tongue | ;-P

Nelek23-Apr-20 22:31

23-Apr-20 22:31

Rage wrote:
Wow this is old !

Yes it is, but basics in chemistry don't change that fast, making it still valid Smile | :)

M.D.V.

Johnny J.23-Apr-20 23:40

Johnny J.

23-Apr-20 23:40

If I were you, I'd try to turn pee into gold instead. Then you might be lucky enough to discover a new element[^] D'Oh! | :doh:

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Do not escape reality : improve reality !

Rage24-Apr-20 0:04

Rage

24-Apr-20 0:04

Johnny J. wrote:
I'd try to turn pee into gold instead.

Unfortunately, this would be copyright infringement to the Kardashians.

lopatir24-Apr-20 0:05

lopatir

24-Apr-20 0:05

yep: this is old.

most of the ingredients you will require to do the experiments are on the restricted and/or watch list.
you know, cancer causing, mercury poisoning, explosive...
- all the good stuff that never used to bother us back when we still had our own hair and teeth.

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2. something that is considered harmful, destructive, or evil.
Synonyms: pest, plague, CCP

Do not escape reality : improve reality !

Rage24-Apr-20 0:12

Rage

24-Apr-20 0:12

I have a similar book about scouting for kids I got from my father, which contains interesting handling of hatchets, setting fire, building traps with pointy sticks, etc... My wife would probably kill me if ~~she knew that~~ I gave it to our kids.

Nelek24-Apr-20 0:43

24-Apr-20 0:43

Rage wrote:
My wife would probably kill me if ~~she knew that~~ I gave it to our kids.

Mine would / will probably do the same, but I don't care... I will teach my kids as much basic survival without techonology as I can.

M.D.V.

kalberts24-Apr-20 0:52

24-Apr-20 0:52

Like giving the kids an unabridged copy of Adventures of Huckleberry Finn ...

(The first unabridged translation to Norwegian was introduced as a version aimed at adults, not boys.)

Old science textbooks (was: Interesting pdf)

CPallini24-Apr-20 0:19

CPallini

24-Apr-20 0:19

Try with a book on nuclear physics. Roll eyes | :rolleyes:

kalberts23-Apr-20 23:34

23-Apr-20 23:34

When Russia sent Gagarin out in space, USA panicked: At that time, learning makeup and social dancing and how to drive a car were important high school subject - rocket science was not. So the authorities started a crash program to develop high quality science textbooks for the high school level, one series of chemistry books, one of physics books.

I know only the physics books, but they were excellent! They were not the ones used in my high school, but I found them in the school library. I would very much like to have a copy of those books today. If I only knew what to search for.

The books were known by some 4 letter abbreviation. I believe it was something like "Study Committee for the Physical Sciences". "SCPS" does not ring any bell, at least nor very loudly, but I believe that I am close. Can anyone help my memory? Or even better: Help me to get hold of a copy of the book set.

Curious note: Since my teenage years, one of my favorite Albert Einstein quotes is "The answer is 'yes' or 'no', depending on the interpretation". For thirty years, I was curious to know what the question was Smile | :)

. A few years ago, someone suggested that I tried the "Ask the library" service of Library of Congress. All I knew was AE's answer, with no source, and not even the exact wording. Nevertheless, in less than 24 hours, I received an answer. I was impressed!

The question was asked in the same context as what caused this textbook project to be initiated. Quoting from memory (so it may not be exact, word by word), the question was: "Does the high school system provide a good enough education for American youth?"

Nelek23-Apr-20 23:41

23-Apr-20 23:41

Sorry, I was not born back then, I can't help you with that.

I found this one by random surfing

M.D.V.

Peter_in_278024-Apr-20 0:55

Peter_in_2780

24-Apr-20 0:55

PSSC is what you are looking for. They were brilliant, and the movies they made were just mind-boggling. I think I may still have the book I bought for my kids in the 80s. Can't have done too much harm, 2 science PhDs from 3 kids. (The other one took after me, nerd.)

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kalberts24-Apr-20 1:00

24-Apr-20 1:00

That's it! "Physical Sciences Study Committee"! Thanks a lot. Now I will know what to search for in used book shops!

Nelek24-Apr-20 1:35

https://www.amazon.com/Physics-physical-science-study-committee/dp/B0000CKVY2[^]

24-Apr-20 1:35

M.D.V.

kalberts24-Apr-20 1:59

24-Apr-20 1:59

Thanks - Amazon's "Marketplace" has a quite a few, some at astronomical prices. But quite a few of the sellers won't ship to Norway. I tried four different sellers that didn't want to have me as a customer. The one I finally found (and at a very acceptable price) offered a 1986 edition. I suppose that it is as good as the 1960 edition; anything else would be a pity.

Well, who knows... I've seen some outright terrible college level textbooks in modern times. The worst one that comes to mind was one in data communications, with a small green Martian taking you step by step through the fantastic wold of intergalactic telecommunication... in a college/university level textbook!

If the PSSC Physics 1986 edition has fallen into that trap, or something similar, I guess I will get back to Amazon for a 1960 edition. My impression of the PSSC is that they are not much likely to go in that direction. Then, it would be interesting to buy the 1960 edition as well, for comparing the two editions side by side, to see what has changed, and by how much, in 26 years!

David O'Neil24-Apr-20 1:49

David O'Neil

24-Apr-20 1:49

Peter_in_2780 wrote:
the movies they made were just mind-boggling

A movie list: PSSC Films @ Afana.com

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kalberts24-Apr-20 2:17

24-Apr-20 2:17

Great! I had heard rumors of some films, but never seen them. I guess I will spend a few hours looking through these.

Btw, I thought it was Gagarin's space flight that kicked the PSSC program going. It is older than that; it seems to be the Russian Sputnik program that triggered it.