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Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Liquid methane experiment in class
Date: Thursday, April 9, 2015 12:53:32 PM
Author: Don Abramowitz <dabramow**At_Symbol_Here**BRYNMAWR.EDU> 		Next by Date:
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Liquid methane experiment in class
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 2015 18:49:25 +0000
Author: Debbie M. Decker

From: ILPI Support <info**At_Symbol_Here**ilpi.com>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Liquid methane experiment in class
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 2015 13:28:34 -0400
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: D243D387-A567-42B8-9C9F-A3A0D3248A75**At_Symbol_Here**ilpi.com
In-Reply-To


And tracking that backwards - there is a Gary Benz at that school who  apparently does a lot of science outreach.  OMG.  


https://chemoutreach.stanford.edu/program-history

https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/funding-and-awards/grants/hachhighschool/pastrecipients/2013-2014-acs-hach-high-school-chemistry-grant-recipients.html

Personally, if this was my child's instructor, I'd not only go beyond asking for the teacher's firing but ask the local police department to file reckless/wanton endangerment charges against him.  That said, I don't wish to ruin someone's career and passion over one really, really, really unprofessional, hazardous, risky, pedagogically vacuous demonstration, but I think the others who have commented are correct.  As the alleged orchestrator of this "demonstration" is apparently a current ACS grant awardee (and potentially even an ACS member), the ACS has an obligation to act in some capacity to ascertain the facts and then see that this fellow understands the incredible physical and legal danger he is posing to himself,  his students, and his school district (as well as to find out if he's using other demos involving methanol etc.)  Hopefully, he will quickly come to see the errors of his ways.  If not, that needs to be escalated to higher levels.

I once consulted on a case where an instructor cost a student an eye by building CO2 bottle bombs, and my understanding is that the teacher was not fired and still apparently believes that his "demonstration" was pedagogically and procedurally sound even after the out-of-court settlement.  Unbelievable.

And one more video in this vein https://www.youtube..com/watch?v=mLKZK55YqWk

Rob Toreki

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On Apr 9, 2015, at 12:38 PM, Jeffrey Lewin <jclewin**At_Symbol_Here**MTU.EDU> wrote:


And this Daily Mail article allegedly identifies the school and teacher.   


On Thu, Apr 9, 2015 at 12:24 PM, Jeffrey Lewin <jclewin**At_Symbol_Here**mtu.edu> wrote:
This article gives the original YouTube upload...but there isn't much additional information on MuzGTG's channel:


On Thu, Apr 9, 2015 at 12:05 PM, Debbie M. Decker <dmdecker**At_Symbol_Here**ucdavis.edu> wrote:
I saw this on Facebook last month but there was no provenance on the video so I couldn't make a stink.

As others have said, I would fire this teacher - on the spot.  Incredibly stupid and incredibly dangerous.

Taking Eddie's suggestion, I provided similar feedback to MSN.  There are other really interesting, and safe, demonstrations that can be used to illustrate the scientific point.


Debbie M. Decker, CCHO, ACS Fellow
Chair, Division of Chemical Health and Safety
University of California, Davis
(530)754-7964
(530)304-6728
dmdecker**At_Symbol_Here**ucdavis.edu

Birkett's hypothesis: "Any chemical reaction
that proceeds smoothly under normal conditions,
can proceed violently in the presence of an idiot."

-----Original Message-----
From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU] On Behalf Of Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
Sent: Thursday, April 09, 2015 7:18 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Liquid methane experiment in class

I think DCHAS members may want to be aware of this in case they have people who like to emulate Internet videos in the organization...

http://www.msn.com/en-us/video/wonder/liquid-methane-experiment-in-class/vi-AAaBJYz

This teacher leaves his students treating the floor like lava while leaving them in awe and he shows them what a little bit of liquid methane will do when lit on fire and poured onto the floor. Perhaps there's an opportunity to develop a Job Hazard Analysis of this demonstration...

- Ralph

Ralph Stuart
secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
Secretary
Division of Chemical Health and Safety
American Chemical Society



--
Jeff Lewin
Departmental Laboratory Supervisor
Biological Sciences
Michigan Technological University



--
Jeff Lewin
Departmental Laboratory Supervisor
Biological Sciences
Michigan Technological University

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