“Experiment often; you never know what might react.”
Sidney Solution
Who was Sidney Solution?
Sidney Solution (1910–1975) was a secondary school chemistry teacher, amateur firebreather, and one-time consultant for a fireworks display that went slightly too well. Affectionately known by his students as “the Explainer with a Bunsen Burner,” Sidney believed that all of life’s mysteries could be tested, recorded, and occasionally extinguished with a wet cloth.
His classrooms were legendary—not just for the learning, but for the scorch marks. This quote appeared in chalk above his blackboard every term, surrounded by arrows, hazard symbols, and a suspiciously persistent smell of singed eyebrows.
Sidney wasn’t just talking about chemistry. He was reminding us that trying things—whether it’s a new idea, a bold conversation, or a dubious sandwich—is the only way to know what sparks.
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