A chemistry set is a small collection of chemicals and associated scientific apparatus, typically glass or plastic ware, designed for the user to perform experiments or demonstrations in the science of chemistry. Usually the recipient is a young person, the chemistry set is a gift for their birthday or Christmas, and the intention is that the child should have some educational fun and hopefully learn some science.

Suns-n-Roses was a page or two I created in the early days of the web (probably around 1994/95) while I was at NASA/GSFC. It was a self-indulgent tour of my favourite topics and quotes with a few nice pictures. It might not have impressed much by today's standards, but back then, images on web pages, and even the whole idea of looking at stuff instantaneously in far-away places was still a novelty, and the page generated a surprising amount of interest. However, like Puff the Magic Dragon, it made way for other toys, and eventually disappeared from my computer. But not from The Wayback Machine.

When we think of hobbies, perhaps we normally think of stamp collecting, or photography, or gardening, or coin collecting.. But of course, one can probably make a 'hobby' of almost anything; perhaps the most fascinating for those of a curious turn of mind would be based in science: studying the starry heavens, or examining bugs and crystals under a microscope, or hunting for fossils, or collecting antique scientific instruments..
Here is a brief list of scientific hobbies suitable for children or adults. Some may be more suitable for children than adults, or vice versa, due to cost or safety considerations.

I'm sometimes asked to recommend a microscope for a smart child or adult - i.e. something better than a toy, but not professional. The cheapest microscopes, intended for children, tend to be barely adequate. They are usually plastic, including the lenses, and the images are poor. As with telescopes - and most things in life - price is generally an indicator of quality.

Mirage produces a small, full-color hologram of natural, lifelike appearance, allowing 360-degree viewing. To achieve these effects, the Mirage utilizes a patented technology of two concealed, opposing pa

A spectrum (plural spectra or spectrums) is a condition that is not limited to a specific set of values but can vary infinitely within a continuum. The word saw its first scientific use within the field of optics to describe the rainbow of colors in visible light when separated using a prism; it has since been applied by analogy to many fields other than optics. Thus, one might talk about the spectrum of political opinion, or the spectrum of activity of a drug, or the autism spectrum. In these uses, values within a spectrum may not be associated with precisely quantifiable numbers or definitions. Such uses imply a broad range of conditions or behaviors grouped together and studied under a single title for ease of discussion. (wikipedia)

Chemistry Lab Perform over 100 safety tested experiments with the Chemistry Lab and its easy to use and informative Instruction Booklet. This very popular chemistry set contains a spirit burner, and 22 chemicals - twice as many as our other sets. Chemistry sets aren't as spectacular as they used to be - due to health / safety / terrorism concerns - but this is the best one we know of.

We operate several websites, some of which might also be of interest to you. Most of them are built in Drupal.

• Science_Zine (formerly EncycloZine) concise illustrated overviews of major science topics, history of science, technology and computers, and links to further information in other resources.
• Curious Minds Science Shop is an online shop for science-related toys, kits, gifts, and scientific instruments, with products ranging from Ant farms to Zoetropes, suitable for all ages from 8 onwards. Astronomy, Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Physics & Technology toys, instruments, kits & gifts.
• Eluzions' Illusions Games, Puzzles, & Optical Illusions.
• Artzia overviews of major arts, history, and society topics, and links to further information in other resources.
• Kosmoi Photo Album my favourite photos. Most of the photos here were taken by me on my Nikon D50, and processed from RAW with Nikon Capture NX2.
• Orrery Planet all things orrery.. & solar system
• Curious Minds blog ramblings ..
• Science Gizmos A selection of gizmos from Curious Minds.
• Suns-n-Roses a self-indulgent tour of my favourite topics and quotes with a few nice pictures
• Physics Museum typical of what would have been found in a school or university physics lab in the period 1879 - 1955.
• Curious Minds tel Contact info and fast navigation for Curious Minds.

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The classical way to make a spectrum - ala Isaac Newton - is to stick an optical prism into sunlight and twist it about until you get your rainbow. However, you might be disappointed the first time you try this, especially if you're thinking of the cover art of Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side of the Moon'! Here are some tips for you.

Is it for astronomy or terrestrial use? Some telescopes can be used for either, but more realistically, certain features are optimised for one or the other. There's a couple of major differences between telescopes designed for terrestrial and astronomical viewing. The first concerns how they are mounted on their tripod.