...Grows in Brooklyn...

We grew a Borax crystal snowflake, photographed here resting on top of the microwave. We let the pipe cleaner snowflake sit for a day in a solution of 2 cups & 6 T. of borax. It was hard to believe that the borax solution produced crystals in one day, I'm used to the amount of time it takes to make rock candy. But I'd better not confuse this with rock candy because Borax is poisonous, especially to roaches and babies. Don't worry, the kids are aware.

I'm trying to discern the formation of the borax crystals, some are almost but not quite big enough for their geometry to be understood via the naked eye. I think I might have a large magnifying glass around here somewhere.

Unfortunately the vase we used to do this broke; it was a nice one. I think the solution was too hot when I poured it in, that or maybe it was the 20 mule power of the borax that did it. In Boron, California, near Death Valley, one of the prime Boric Acid harvesting spots in the world, there is a 20 Mule Team Museum. I've never been.

I don't know that much about Borax but I know it has many uses besides cleaning including making super light metals, allowing solder to flow evenly over surfaces when used as a flux, and best of all giving Silly Putty its unique goofiness. I wonder how people figure things out about different molecules, discern their super powers. I am silenced by how much there is to know about the world that I don't even know I don't know. Shuts me right up.