The Dying Hobby: Science

Cynthia Rouse
San Antonio Gazette Staff

Science seems like it’s becoming a dying hobby. The things that captivate children in young years and keep their attention is almost always science! Sadly, intelligent and worthwhile things like chemistry is fighting against overrated and useless television shows.

We choose to have a TV baby sit our children and rot their brains rather than spend quality time with them and actually learn something while having fun. Quality of life has gone down horribly, and we expect our school systems to make up for it. Not that I knock all teachers on this, since I know there are plenty of teachers who genuinely care for their students, and came into the system because they wanted to teach because they believe they are the first step to making a difference, and they are!

However, the system as a whole pulls down even the greatest of teachers, and that’s sad. Schools are not teaching kids as well as they should be as a WHOLE.

This isn’t about the Schools, this is about our personal lives and what we are doing with them. I remember growing up and being enriched by all the amazing things around me as a child. I remember my parents taking the time to show me unusual things I had never seen before, or showing me new tricks that were simple chemistry based reactions. The whole Mentos and Soda thing? Yeah, that’s chemistry! To a child it might be magic, even if you explain it to them. That is enrichment and encouragement to do things we’ve never done before.

But where has it all gone now? Out the door in this fast paced world. Actually, we should be the ones getting out the door more often!

I use Science as a blanket term in this article, because there are so many things that we do and think of that falls under this category and don’t even realize it. A lot of them give you physical exercise, test your knowledge and exercise your brain, slow you down and relieve stress, and even keep you entertained for hours on end. All the while, learning new things and rediscovering things forgotten.

This list includes many things, and I will even add items to those named that give you an idea! Geology, hiking, exploration and discovery, chemistry, Mentos and soda geysers, vinegar and baking soda volcanoes, biology, bird watching, animal interaction.

The list here is an example, but it can go on and on.

As I have said though before, it’s getting harder and harder to find all the old cool stuff you used to see in stores, readily available to pick up from growing prehistoric critters to cracking open your own geodes. Unfortunately, a lot of places have started downsizing their science areas that used to have really large sections you would take hours to wander through.

Thankfully, the one thing about the Net is the ability to find something, regardless of where it is located. So I did find some science, or science related stores online. Some of them have physical locations but sadly, not around where I am!

So if you’d really like to get back to Science, turn to the Internet. It’s there for you to find! I hope that maybe, just maybe, some lives become richer with knowledge, and more people decide to get out.