the microscale laboratory: a neu context Microscale Chemistry in the Comics Zvi Szafran, Ronald M. Pike, and Mono M. Singh Merrimack College, North Andover, MA 01845 The National Micmscale Chemistry Center (NMC2)was founded in Januarv 1993 with the ~ r i m a r vmission of disseminating information about the benefits of converting laboratow instruction to the micmscale level ( 1 ) . In thin regard, workshops are held in the areas of microscale chemistm for elementam school teachers. hieh school teachers,"and in general, organic and inorg-c cLemistry..' One of the onpoing challen~eswith o~eratinea center of this type is coktading one';target audience, especially at the elementary and high school level. At this point, enter Archie Comics, Inc. In September 1993, one of the associate directors of NMC2,who also happens to be an avid comic book collector, came acmss an issue of Archie Comics entitled "Archie and Friends Battle Toxic Household Wastes", which was produced for the city of San Dieeo's recvcline effort. Archie Comics Inc. has lone been an environmentallly concerned company, printing its comics on recycled paper and using vegetable-based inks. The editorial staff of the company wanted to know if any of its readership knew of any additional ways to reduce hazardous chemical wastes. We felt that micmscale chemistry might be an interesting item for them to consider, especially since it is traditional for Archie to blow up the chemistry lab every spring because of some runaway chemical reaction (2).Victor Gorelick, Managing Editor of the comics line was contacted and told thatif &mscale chemistry was adopted at Riverdale High Schwl, such accidents would become a thing of the past. Archie would have to find some other way to destroy the school! Gorelick thoueht that his was an interestine idea and reauested furth>r information about microscale-chemistry m he result was a comic book stom called "Let's Have a Blast". which appeared in Jughead with Archie Digest,issue 119 (April 1994). A digest, appropriately enough, is a "microscale sized" comic book.' The story begins with Archie blowing up the laboratory for the unpteenth time and Mr. Flutesnoot (Archie's chemistry teacher) telling Mr. Weatherbee (the Principal) that he no longer will allow Archie in the laboratory Weatherbee suggests protective clothing (rejected because it makes people look like "space explorers") or a private laboratory in the basement for Archie onlv. Dilton Doilev (Archie's brainy friend) suggests microkale chemistrj be introduced into the laboratom and exmlains what it is to the Principal. They then visit ~errim'ackCollege (Fig. 1)and meet Drs. Pike. Szaean. and Sineh. - . where the benefits of microscale chemistry are discussed. After microscale is introduced at Riverdale Hieh all is well and Mr. Weatherbee can finally relm-no more fires and explosions for months. He then goes into the home economics laboratory where-
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'lnlormation regarding microscale chemistly workshops is available from the authors at: NMC', Merrimack College. North Andover, MA 01 845; phone (508)837-5137;email:
[email protected]. 'copies of the story are available upon request from the authors.
Flg-re 1 Mr. Weatnerbee v sls Merr mack Colege lo llnd OLI aoo,1 rn croscale chernlslry. Tne ARCHIE corn c characters are copyr gnt 1994 Arcn e Corn c P ~ bcat l ons nc Reproo~ceoa lh perm ssm A I rights reserved
Fig-re 2 Professor P.ke, Szfaran, and Smgn ge: an .n.sba mtcroscale cnernslry reqLest from tne desperate M r Wealnemee Tne ARCHIE mrnlc cnaracters are copyr'gnl 1994 Arcn e Con c P J Dca~ tions, lnc. Reproduced with permission. All rights resewed
upon another explosion is heard. This time Archie has blown UD his oven because he used one mound of veast instead ofthe one ounce the recipe called for. The stbry ends with Mr. Weatherbee asking Pike, Szafran, and Singh if they could design a special micmscale oven for one of his students (Fig. 2). The story has generated a lot of interest in NMC2, includine newsDaDer coveraee and manv ~ h o u ecalls from interested el&iutary andrhigh school
