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The Extinction of the ‘Mentos Volcanoes’

Kiera Wilmot - Florida Teen Girl Charged With Felony After Science Experiment Goes Bad
Kiera Wilmot

Doing my morning reading, when this headline crossed my screen –

Florida Teen Girl Charged With Felony After Science Experiment Goes Bad

and I begin to read –

On 7 a.m. on Monday, the 16 year-old mixed some common household chemicals in a small 8 oz water bottle on the grounds of Bartow High School in Bartow, Florida.

The reaction caused a small explosion that caused the top to pop up and produced some smoke. No one was hurt and no damage was caused.- miaminewtimes.com

and in further reading, it does suggest that the girl, Kiera Wilmont, did make some bad decisions, but at the same time: Where was the Teacher? Adviser? Adult?

What were the chemicals involved?

Common household chemicals“?

If the chemicals were that volatile, in a room full of people, where was the oversight?

Kiera was lead away in “handcuffs and expelled from school” for her little experiment, and should complete her diploma through the expulsion program while in juvenile detention.

Basically, her life has been ruined…

Back when I was in grade school science class, there was always ‘talk’ of someone doing the classic ‘baking soda & vinegar’ (acid-base reaction) with food coloring volcanoes…

with todays equivalent being a substitution of ‘mentos and diet coke’ (nucleation)…

But they were Banned from my school…

Not because they exploded, as everyone knew they would, but because they had been done too many times before, as in boring!

Explosions and Science are not new friends!

One does have to wonder what we are saying to kids if you have an accident in science class, you might go to jail.

Then there is the possibility, that the ‘mentos volcanoes’ will disappear from the classroom, altogether  and generations of future kids will no longer understand the fun as seen in the old movies.

Maybe, if we wish to be safe, maybe we can just do all science with thought experiments (Gedankenexperiment)!

Here is one I just came up with!

A company located in western Texas, stores several thousands of tons of unreported chemicals at their place of business, and it explodes, killing several people in the area.

Who goes to jail this time?

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Updates

[5/17/2013 15:35 – Added]

No… what… wait a second…

She imitated something she had seen on the internet, knowing it would explode…

On school grounds…

and she is getting a scholarship to Space camp?

[5/17/2013 15:34 – Added]

This is VERY, VERY Cool!

“Homer Hickam — the writer and former NASA engineer whose memoir is the basis of the movie October Sky — started a Crowdtilt campaign to send Wilmot and her twin sister Kayla to the Advanced Space Academy program at the U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala.”

https://www.crowdtilt.com/campaigns/kayla-wilmot-space-academy-scholarship

If you have never seen “October Sky”, I highly recommend it!

[5/17/2013 10:34 – Added]
Good News and Bad News!

[5/1/2013 14:43 – Added]

I am into physics, and still like to watch things go boom!

Arresting her and being taken to jail… a little much…

Bring her into the Headmaster/Principals Office and having a LONG conversation with the Parents and Child… Priceless and would have caused allot less of an issue…

[5/1/2013 13:56 – Added]

ScientificAmerican.com – “Florida teen charged with felony for trying science

Riptide – “Florida School Responds To Criticism For Expelling Student Over Science Project: “There Are Consequences To Actions”

[5/1/2013 12:56 – Added]

In continuing to read through the various comments, there appears to be another side coming out… Drano Bottle Bombs

[5/1/2013 12:32 – Added]
Bartow High School Principal – Ronald Pritchard
http://www.bartowhighschool.com/
Address: 1270 S Broadway Ave Bartow, FL 33830
EMAIL: Ronald.Pritchard@polk-fl.net
PHONE:(863)- 534-7400 Fax: (863)534-0077

Polk County Superintendent – Dr. John Stewart
http://www.polk-fl.net/districtinfo/contactus/default.htm
Address: 1915 South Floral Avenue, Bartow, FL 33831
Phone: (863) 534-0521 Fax: (863) 519-8231

Polk Regional Juvenile Detention Ctr/Bartow police
http://www.cityofbartow.net/index.aspx?page=60
ADDRESS: 2155 Bob Phillips Road, Bartow, FL 33830
TEL: 863-534-7090
FAX: 863-534-7024

Here is an interesting link to the “Polk Regional Juvenile Detention Ctr”
P.O.L.K “Protect Our Lost Kids” in Polk Co, Fl

Original Thread of ideas

Original G+ Conversation

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Sometimes…

Zen Character 01
Zen Character 01

Sometimes, the moment is the focus, when memories are captured, and are easily lost. – als

– Andrew
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Mental Exercise – Ichthyologists

Mental Exercise – Ichabod Fisher, the ichthyologist, had a whale of a tail, as he floundered shrimping for prawns, that seemed to be all gone.

– Andrew
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Quiz me this…

Why should the DEFINITION of a Word, rank LOWER than an Advertisement?

  • dilemma (Google)
– Andrew
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HDR Cookbook by Klaus Herrmann (farbspiel)

HDR Cookbook - Klaus Herrmann (farbspiel)
HDR Cookbook – Klaus Herrmann (farbspiel)

A couple of days ago, I found the link to “HDR Cookbook – Creating 32-bit HDRs the Right Way“, and basically, have NOT left the website since.

Klaus Herrmann (farbspiel) is a photographer out of Germany, who specializes in Interior HDR Photography.

On his main website, “HDR Cookbook“, you will find a wonderful collection of pages, that describe in vivid detail, the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of creating his beautiful images.

Topic include:

Over the years, I have gone through many pages and videos on “How to do…” HDR, but this is the first site that I have found, that goes into ‘in-depth’ experiments explaining why certain steps are needed to achieve the final product.

Seeing the side-by-side effects of software and processing, has caused me to reconsider how I will view and process future images.

Recently, I have been revisiting some of my older captures, and processing them with new knowledge and techniques.

In reading Klaus’ suggested Workflow, which is highly recommended, he makes the following observation:

Let the finished file sit on your hard disk for a day or two. Don’t post it right away. I found that when you get back to it a day later, you will discover things that you might want to change, things that you did not discover while you were working on the details of the image very intensely. If you let you mind do other things and some time passes, you will look at the image more objectively, more like your viewers will. If you’re content with the image now, go ahead and post it.

Needless to say, I highly recommend that if you are interested in HDR, Tone Mapping related photography, and are in search of some advanced tips, techniques and very qualified insights, then you should be rewarded with a visit to “HDR Cookbook“.

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