Once upon a time a callow youth\u2014quite by accident\u2014almost burned down a high school chemistry lab.<\/p>\n
\nThis is not that story, but an appreciation of certain details in this one will enhance your enjoyment when I get round to telling you it. This story involves Spencer Hogg, a bunsen burner and the thermite reaction. (Aside: I just googled his name, because I was certain I’d previously written about him on Nature Network. Turns out I’ve written about another exploit of his elsewhere<\/a>, but as that’s behind a paywall I’ll have to adapt it at a later date.)<\/p>\n \nSo. The thermite reaction<\/a>.<\/p>\n \nOne fine day in the top chemistry set at Kent School, one Mr Woods mixed together a small amount of Fe2<\/sub>O3<\/sub> and solid aluminum powder in a small, ceramic dish. This was placed on gauze on a tripod (remember them?). Then all 20-odd of us were shooed behind the back bench, and Mr Woods lit the bunsen, turned it down really really low, placed it under the mix and ran like bloody hell<\/a> to join us at the back of the lab. We waited.<\/p>\n \nWe waited some more.<\/p>\n \nEventually, Spencer Hogg spoke up.<\/p>\n \n‘Sir,’ he said, ‘nothing’s happening. Can I go and turn the bunsen up?’<\/p>\n \n‘No, give it a bit longer.’<\/p>\n \nSo we waited.<\/p>\n \nAnd waited.<\/p>\n \nAnd waited some more.<\/p>\n \n‘Sir,’ Spencer said, ‘can I go and turn it up now<\/em>?’<\/p>\n \n‘All right then, but only a bit, and be very careful.’<\/p>\n \nNow, this might tell you a bit about Sir’s character. One of these days (At SoLo09, perhaps) I might tell you what happened on a school trip to Amsterdam, but I fear that it would only distract you from what happened next:<\/p>\n \nSpencer duly emerged from the bunker, walked over to the demo, and turned up the flame by the merest amount. He turned away, and there was what I can only describe as a ‘FOOM’.<\/p>\n \nActually, that would be wasting a perfect opportunity to use the word ‘pyrotechnics’. Bits of flaming stuff<\/em> whizzed out of the ceramic dish: sparks, smoke; the works. I think Spencer might have flinched.<\/p>\n \nOne piece of flaming stuff<\/em> landed in the wastepaper bin by the hand-washing sink. This bin was a wire basket about three feet high with a green (funny the details you remember) plastic liner and full to overflowing with scrunched-up paper towels. Which ignited.<\/p>\n \nWoods, give him his due, leapt over the bench and dashed to the front of the class, releasing the catches on the red metal box to get at the fire blanket…which happened to be directly over the bin. The fire blanket dropped straight down, still folded, and the flames shot sideways<\/em> through the wire, the plastic liner giving way almost immediately, while we pissed ourselves laughing.<\/p>\n \nNot to be deterred, he grabbed the fire extinguisher from the wall and put the awesome power of \nWhen the smoke had cleared and we’d filed back to our own seats, Mr Woods called in the teacher from the parallel class next door, and asked for help resetting the safety on the fire extinguisher. This cove placed the extinguisher on the demonstration bench, stood behind it and tried to force the safety; sending foam over most of the front bench and its occupants\u2014fortunately for me my seat was at the very end (nearest the door. I’m not daft) and it missed me. <\/p>\n \nThe extinguisher was left, then, and we thought no more of it, except what a great thing chemistry was and how Spencer Hogg was quite possibly the luckiest boy in the school.<\/p>\n \nMy fun, however, was only just beginning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Once upon a time a callow youth\u2014quite by accident\u2014almost burned down a high school chemistry lab. This is not that story, but an appreciation of certain details in this one will enhance your enjoyment when I get round to telling … Continue reading yeast genetics<\/del> foam to its God-given purpose.<\/p>\n