EMBRACING ‘MAD SCIENCE’

Abstract

WHEN I WAS ASKED to review “Theo Gray’s Mad Science: Experiments You Can Do At Home—But Probably Shouldn’t,” by Theodore Gray, my first thought was to begin with a cute comment disputing the title and suggesting that everyone really should try all of these experiments at home. Then I flipped open the book to a random page and was quickly disabused of that notion. Among the eclectic assortment of experiments are more than a few that you really don’t want to try at home—unless you don’t mind burning the house down or having your door kicked in by drug enforcement agents in full body armor. Gray’s no-holds-barred book is a glorious assortment of the kinds of chemistry and physics experiments that hearken back to the “good old days” when things were a lot more relaxed. Back then, kids rode their bicycles without helmets and pads and still somehow survived. No one worried about terrorists, drugs ...