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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wish people paid attention at school?

56 replies

drspouse · 25/02/2019 19:43

And therefore knew what a chemical was?
Just had someone moaning on a gardening group that F1 seeds are made "with chemicals in a lab".
Well in that you'd be a bit stuffed without chemicals, yes, they are, as you'd have no body and seeds wouldn't exist.

OP posts:
JamPasty · 26/02/2019 08:20

F1 is the first offspring of two different purebreds. Ie the seed equivalent of a cookerpoo dog (poodle cross cocker spaniel)

diddl · 26/02/2019 08:20

"FFS could someone please tell us what the fuck is an F1 seed?????"

Someone already has!

Original poster
drspouse · 26/02/2019 08:22

Everyone knows what is meant when people use the term chemicals in this context.
I don't. Even if we're talking "added" chemicals, what does "everyone" include in their list? Fertiliser? Water? Lime? What pesticides are not "chemicals" and which ones are? Is spraying soap on your plants to get rid of aphids using "chemicals"?
And honestly, this has nothing to do with F1 seeds. People say this about food. Water, sugar, salt, flour, bicarb - all chemicals.

OP posts:
JamPasty · 26/02/2019 08:23

Cockerpoo. For god's sake don't cooker poo! :)

WinterHeatWave · 26/02/2019 08:25

Ifailed water???

Original poster
drspouse · 26/02/2019 08:28

Also bicarb, baking powder. Neither has carbon in it.

OP posts:
PlatypusPie · 26/02/2019 08:29

downcasteyes had a perfect summation and clarification.

Ifailed · 26/02/2019 08:29

WinterHeatWave Nice try, but it's not a food! (and as it's the Universal Solvent, there will be some carbon compounds present).

Ifailed · 26/02/2019 08:34

drspouse Please don't try eating bicarb or baking powder! Of course once cooked they release CO2 and become harmless.

bigcomfypants · 26/02/2019 08:36

This is nothing. I know a ‘vegan’ that eats fish.
‘A fish is an animal’ dd10 said.
‘No it is not’ he replied’
‘What is it then?’ I asked. He stormed off and refused to speak to us for the rest of the day Grin

Waspnest · 26/02/2019 08:38

drspouse I thought both had carbon in them Confused .

ginghamtablecloths · 26/02/2019 08:40

I paid attention attention but probably more so at subjects which interested me. I'm fairly knowledgeable about art, history, poetry and literature - but science and maths, not so much.

If I was asked to describe what a chemical was in one easy sentence I'd struggle - and I'm not what you'd call thick, just not a natural all-rounder.

RebeccaCloud9 · 26/02/2019 08:43

🙄

Original poster
drspouse · 26/02/2019 08:43

Neither has carbon in it.
WRONG! In my defence, the DCs are running wild!

OP posts:
Original poster
drspouse · 26/02/2019 08:43

They do Wasps

OP posts:
blackteasplease · 26/02/2019 08:46

Fewer chemicals.

Waspnest · 26/02/2019 08:47

Phew. Thought I was going mad (I even had to check in the cupboard it's so long since I did chemistry).

ThePollutedShadesOfPemberley · 26/02/2019 08:48

I believe an F1 seed is like a mule in that it cannot reproduce itself. It is barren but beautiful/useful in the season it lives IYSWIM?

Kazzyhoward · 26/02/2019 08:49

I paid attention but was never taught how to relate "chemicals" to the real world. For me, it was all an abstract concept - a different world that only happened in science labs. It has actually recently been quite an education for me as I've spent the last 5 years helping my son with his school homework and exam revision and I've learned more by helping him than I did at school - so many "lightbulb" moments with more modern ways of teaching and explaining how chemicals relate to real life. Such a shame that teaching could have been so crap in the past. Perhaps all these people who don't understand chemicals were badly taught rather than not paying attention!

ginghamtablecloths · 26/02/2019 08:51

That should be 'I paid attention at school' - must try harder!

WTFIsAGleepglorp · 26/02/2019 08:59

Baking soda = sodium hydrogen carbonate

Baking powder is baking soda and cream of tartar = sodium hydrogen carbonate and potassium bitartrate, also known as potassium hydrogen tartrate.

Those damned chemicals get everywhere!

We need to use fewer herbicides and pesticides.

People need to be more specific about 'chemicals' as everything is chemicals.

Some chemicals are allowed in organic farming and everything we eat is chemicals.....

Waspnest · 26/02/2019 09:00

My understanding is that plants from F1 seeds CAN usually reproduce (there are some exceptions and some plants for e.g. certain cucumbers will only produce female flowers so can't reproduce) but their offspring will be nothing like their F1 parents and in the case of a lot of veg are likely to be of inferior quality. The F1 seeds are produced by crossing two pure bred plants under controlled conditions.

ADropofReality · 26/02/2019 09:06

The pedantry is strong here. Everyone knows what is meant, in the context of arguments about agriculture, what is meant by "chemicals". Naturally occurring chemicals like H2O and whatever cow dung is made of are not included in "chemicals".

WTFIsAGleepglorp · 26/02/2019 09:06

Yes.

That's my understanding too.

It's possible to breed from F1 hybrids, but the offspring will be nothing like the expensive seeds you bought.

Motoko · 26/02/2019 09:08

The problem with the argument "But everyone knows what I mean" (and it's also used in discussions about spelling and grammar) is that it's dumbing down the population.

So many people think that ANY "chemicals" are BAD. That if something says it's "made with 100% natural ingredients", it's not made with chemicals. They seem to forget that amongst all those "natural" ingredients in the world, there are deadly poisons. They also don't realise that just because something is derived from a "natural" source, it doesn't mean that it hasn't gone through a highly scientific process in a lab, to become suitable for the use that's required.

Ignorance can be dangerous.