Fifty years later, I can still close my eyes and see him

chem sets? yeah!

My brother and I especially enjoyed sprinkling powdered uh what was it graphite? lead? iron! iron shavings sprinkled on the alcohol lamp. Sparkley!

So I might've been eight or ten. My brother has the little metal spoon, and he sprinkles some over the flame POOF! and does this a few times, then, apparently, the spoon got hot... and he sticks the spoon in the little jar of shavings....

He was sitting at the desk. I was sitting behind him on my bed. Fifty years later, I can still close my eyes and see him, silhouetted blackly against the incredibly bright white flash! Fortunately, the explosion was not contained, so it was all light and little damage, but, POW!

I don't think we ever got any more.

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