Kids will be kids you have to let them experiment with things in life so we don't have to put up with when there older. Don't tell them about putting a paper clip on the third rail to get to see that beautiful blue arc, once in a life time experience if you get the chance.
Third rail? Is that the electrical conductor for a subway? Our trams and electric buses had overhead wiring so we could not arc these without major risk.
But, after seeing the anti aircraft searchlights in history lesson we build an arc lamp with the carbon electrodes from D cells, a simple electric choke (one winding of a transformer), and a cheap mirror telescope. With this we could light up someone's living room in the evening to daylight brightness from two blocks away. The harassment did not last long though because the telescope was not designed for that abuse and eventually melted down.
I mean, what good is all the science stuff you learn in school if you don't put it to use.
Back then, the space race was in full swing so we build a lot of rockets. I still remember sitting in some boring class and working on the latest design with the notebook on my lap.
We can claim that we successfully launched a mouse and returned it safely to earth before the end of the decade. The scariest thing happened when we put a big flashbang 'warhead' on a two stage solid fuel rocket. The balance was off and as the burn made the bottom end lighter, the whole trajectory arced towards a building nearby. Then, the second stage lit and disaster was heading straight for the building. Fortunately, the 'warhead' blew up a few yards before reaching the windows and we scurried away like roaches in the light.
Don't get me started on arms/weapons. We compressed the entire history of arms development into a few years. Literally from slingshot to center-fire, all built in the same garage. In Germany, where you couldn't just buy a gun at the local hardware store. But at least the store had most of the raw materials. Few things beat learning by doing.
I feel sorry for most kids today with their virtual lives. Childhood should be a phase of hands-on discovery. And I don't mean eating tide-pods. That's what a toddler does who thinks it is a candy. Try something constructive, where you put the details you learn in school together and to the test.
/rant
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