Fig. 1: Science experiments at home.

Clockwise from bottom left, soap on water: a simple way to measure molecular dimensions — inspired by Irving Langmuir — using talcum powder sprinkled on water. Baking a cake: a scalable analogue of complex synthesis. Optical rotation and birefringence: measurable using an LCD screen and a linear polarizing filter. Cryoscopy with thermocouples: a gateway to thermodynamics. Cake photograph courtesy of Miranda Molloy.