My latest DEA experience was this:
My daughter is going to start chemistry in high school, and thinks it will be boring, based on her middle school exposure. I thought I'd show here some "cool" chemistry, like the reduction/oxidation reaction in the thermite reaction, or the creation of aluminum hex iodide with the formation of clouds of purple smoke and flames. Very cool nerd stuff. So, I went online to get some aluminum powder and iodine crystals.
Guess what? The DEA now has a "list one" (not schedule 1) of chemicals that could potentially be used to make methamphetamine, and iodine is now supposedly restricted in some occult way. So the chemical supply house I have used would not sell it to me. However, e-bay had no such issues and I could get it easily. Hydrochloric acid is also on this list( that you can get in gallon jugs at any paint supply store), as is sulphuric acid that is freely available in any battery supply. But, I guess chemistry is not really their strong suit. Nor is intelligence.
I guess if we just have an infinite number of rules, no one will ever do any stupid or self distructive actions ever again.
