From the latest issue of Chemical and Engineering News Newscripts (p. 104). I wonder if the bomb squad took advantage the learning opportunity to let the student see the explosion? - Ralph High school chemistry project was a blast According to a report in the Detroit News last month, a 17-year-old high school junior in Walled Lake, Mich., found a recipe for making trinitrotoluene (TNT) on the Internet and decided to try it out for the final experiment in his advanced placement chemistry course. He planned to test his product by blowing up a watermelon for his classmates on the school's football field. The student used chemicals from the school stockroom and had responsibly informed his parents and teacher about his TNT project, which apparently was progressing just fine. But precaution took over, and the teacher and school officials alerted the sheriff's office. It wasn't long before the state police bomb squad was on the scene, removing three beakers containing what was described as a brown-black paste. Police aren't sure if the material was TNT or not, but they reported its detonation made a "sizable explosion." It's still unclear if any legal charges or other sanctions will be brought against the youth or the teacher, but it seems today's sanitized school environment can still be exciting. Ralph Stuart, CIH Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety Environmental Safety Facility 667 Spear St. Burlington, VT 05405 rstuart**At_Symbol_Here**uvm.edu
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