The scientists at Zoober Labs were almost always concerned about safety. (It’s too bad they didn’t exercise enough caution with the time machine!) They even hired a consultant, named Safety Kid, who came to the Zoober Labs to teach them how to conduct their experiments with the utmost care. Since you, too, are going to be conducting real scientific experiments with chemicals just like the Zoobers, we’ve asked Safety Kid to teach you some important rules you must follow to protect yourself and ensure good results.
1. Always get a grown-up’s permission before beginning an experiment. Before getting started, show this book to a grown-up and ask him or her to read the instructions for the experiment you want to conduct. Whenever you come across an experiment in the notebook with Safety Kid’s picture, that means you need to be extra careful, because something hot, sharp, or potentially dangerous in some other way will be involved in the experiment. That means an adult needs to stick around while you’re doing it.
2. Read the experiment all the way through before starting. That way, you’ll know what you need and how long it is going to take to complete the experiment.
3. Wear safety glasses. If you think wearing goggles is for dweebs, think again. Not only do goggles protect your eyes, they make you look like a scientist, which is what you are when you conduct an experiment. While none of the chemicals and materials used here are especially toxic or dangerous, they could irritate your eyes. You can pick up an inexpensive pair of clear plastic goggles at a hardware store.
4. Wear a laboratory coat. Since many of the experiments use ingredients that can cause stains, you’ll need to cover your clothes with a smock or other long-sleeved garment. A large, old, buttoned shirt, turned around so the buttons are in the back, works great. If you want, write your name and draw your own laboratory logo on the shirt.
5. Set up your laboratory in an easy-to-clean area. Many of these experiments are messy. Occasionally, little bits of goops and powders will fall out of jars while you’re mixing them. Even if you promise “to be extra careful not to spill anything,” you never know when an accident will happen. Before you begin conducting your experiments, you need to decide where to set up your laboratory. It’s best if you can conduct your experiments in a garage or in your backyard, since people don’t seem to mind as much when a beaker of gooey ooze spills on a cement floor instead of a living room carpet. A kitchen countertop could work, but remember: kitchens are used to make meals, so be prepared to close up shop right in the middle of your experiment if somebody in the house gets hungry. Remember to always clean up after you are finished, because a tidy lab ensures successful results. Always spread a bunch of newspapers on the floor to keep spills from making a mess.
6. Do not eat your experiments. Zoober Labs created only two or three recipes that were meant to be eaten, and those are noted clearly. Otherwise, nothing is meant to be swallowed, and some shouldn’t get in your eyes or nasal passages either. While almost every ingredient used in these projects is nontoxic, some can make you sick or cause discomfort if ingested in even small quantities. Store ingredients in jars or dispose of them in the trash (not the sink) when you are finished with them, and keep out of the hands and paws of tiny kids and pets.