What is the purpose of hobby chemistry?

[ProfuselyQuarky]

So, float solution on mercury with seed at bottom (on top of the mercury), and it continuously turns itself, leading to no bad side and no thread. I still have 4 inch absolutely (visually) perfect crystals my father grew this way.

Gosh, that's fantastically clever.

 

[PAllen]

Gosh, that's fantastically clever.

Not too surprisingly, my father went on to a career in chemistry, ultimately directing materials research world wide for IBM.