Gene's Comic Got Me Thinkin'

[ZipZap]

One of the "toys" my folks got me when I was a kid was a science quality prism. Had to go to the library to read up on how refraction and wavelength were related. No wiki in 1970.

How many here had the electronics project kits, or chemistry sets? Erector sets with the motors? Sliced my hand many a time Estes rockets?

Parents are long gone, but I'm forever indebted to them for sparking my interest in the sciences.

Also gave me a strong background in the ability to wrench machines. Building a race car from scratch is still an accomplishment I relish.

I have no kids, but if you do, or grand kids, start nurturing the STEM side if at all possible. They will be very grateful for this direction. Knowing how stuff works at the basic level is incredibly valuable.

Just ask DWiz

[Aerovette]

I had an erector set and built the crane. I was a bit too young to really appreciate the potential of a lot of the educational toys my parents got me but I have NO DOUBT that it triggered the "how does this work" part of me. There is no device that I look at for what it is. I am always doing the "Terminator" thing in my head and seeing how it all interacts.

[mrvette]

I had seemingly every construction toy from little wood things at about age 4 or so, to erection sets, all the way from the little ones to largest ones....along with friends in the burb/hood.....we built our own wood/metal/gas engine go carts, sleds for winter, and in most of my childhood I also has Lionel electric trains, Dad built TWO 4x8 plywood tables for them to run on.....and also went on to guns, .22 bolt action rifle...Sears I think, to many other guns as I got older....I was fixing lawnmowers from gas/rotary to gas vert shaft ~21" blade, then on to riding mower......5-6 hp Briggs thing called Panzer blue iron frame/car differential narrowed in back......my first car was a '60 vette in '66, 283 powerslide......then into large Pontiacs and eventually ended my Poncho buying with a '70 Lemans sport convertible....hotrod including DPFI, 12 bolt rear, 400 trans, disc brakes/etc.....

then to a stock '87 vette for ~4 years or so, then into my present '72 hotrod where ONLY thing stock is the chrome bumpers.....all done by ME, except engine machine work......

[JRD77VET]

Estes rockets were very popular in the rural neighborhood I grew up in. ( all three of us ) Kim (guy) had a 3 wheel utility trike ( gator style) that had a nice launch platform on it. Kim and Scott both had dirtbikes that were the recovery vehicles. On our farm, the cleared high point was the preferred spot to launch.

We gave up on the D powered rockets as they went too high and got lost on the decent in the surrounding farmers fields

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The chemistry sets in the late 60s and early 70s allowed you to make some pretty cool ( dangerous) experiments.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Erector sets promoted early fabricating skills which ended up being the basic building blocks for my skills as a machinist.fabricator and welder.

Plus being surrounded by farms, "fix it" skills were constantly honed.

[Louie Detroit]

Did about all the shit mentioned in this thread. Back in the day you had to entertain yourself.

[Giraffe (He/Him)]

Originally Posted by Louie Detroit

Did about all the shit mentioned in this thread. Back in the day you had to entertain yourself.

I played with my dick.

Still do.

[Don Rickles]

You guys really click on his threads?

[Datawiz]

Originally Posted by ZipZap

One of the "toys" my folks got me when I was a kid was a science quality prism. Had to go to the library to read up on how refraction and wavelength were related. No wiki in 1970.

How many here had the electronics project kits, or chemistry sets? Erector sets with the motors? Sliced my hand many a time Estes rockets?

Parents are long gone, but I'm forever indebted to them for sparking my interest in the sciences.

Also gave me a strong background in the ability to wrench machines. Building a race car from scratch is still an accomplishment I relish.

I have no kids, but if you do, or grand kids, start nurturing the STEM side if at all possible. They will be very grateful for this direction. Knowing how stuff works at the basic level is incredibly valuable.

Just ask DWiz

Your childhood sounds like my childhood, and you all know what happens with offspring in the WizHood.

Cute quote, her CTO just referred to GWiz as a "once in a generation" person.

[04 commemorative]

I had an old school chemistry set....all wood and even wooded containers that the chemicals were in

[Giraffe (He/Him)]

I had one of those 'Atomic Energy Labs.' It came with real uranium!

[Vandelay Industries]

Originally Posted by Giraffe (He/Him)

I had one of those 'Atomic Energy Labs.' It came with real uranium!

Straight from Uranus.

[ZipZap]

Originally Posted by Giraffe (He/Him)

I had one of those 'Atomic Energy Labs.' It came with real uranium!

We weren't rich, so mine only came with yellowcake.

[Torqaholic]

No, chemistry for me. Had a microscope kit though. Decent setup with 3 different magnifications. That got extensive use throughout my junior high years.

[ZipZap]

Originally Posted by Torqaholic

No, chemistry for me. Had a microscope kit though. Decent setup with 3 different magnifications. That got extensive use throughout my junior high years.

So were you checking your potency?

You did remind me of microscopes, along with jogging my memory of crystal radio sets.

[Torqaholic]

No, was mostly into plant biology.