My father, a physicist who lives in Monmouth County, would beg to differ. And my own science education (also in Monmouth County) was decent enough. But it was also 40ish years ago, so who the hell knows what things are like now.
2 Likes
My wife and her siblings grew up in Avenel. Maybe the school system there? Would have been 60s, 70s, and 80s (big gap between my wife who is oldest of four and her sister who is younger by ten years). I could not believe that they had never seen the baking soda volcano. The potato clock was an eye opener. We wonāt talk about blowing up a tree stump with magnesium and hydrochloric acid. grin That was fun. Exothermic reactions (same that heat military rations) really got their attention.
āThere is no science in NJā is now a family joke.
Worth noting that the AEGIS weapon system was born in New Jersey and there were a LOT of tests "targeting"cars on the NJ Turnpike. NJ is home to Stevens Institute, Rutgers, Princeton, and a number of other major centers of learning. Of course there is Maxwell House in Hobokon which is no slouch in applied chemistry and culinary science. Smells nice on the Hudson River also. grin Not an exhaustive list.
I will never forgive NJ for not having the volcano in elementary school. grin
1 Like
For others who may have been deprived:
I think this was fourth grade.
I was also going to say that I think it depends/depended on the school system. Then again, I was way more interested in Liberal Arts and band to pay close attention to scienceā¦ 
But I can tell you that having worked for a MAJOR non-profit in the '90s that the NJ pharmaceutical industry was the strongest in the countryā¦we used to quote the fact that more $$ came back to NJ via our national office because of all of the research taking place here. So thereās that.
2 Likes
But do you remember the volcano? grin
1 Like
There was also an obscure fellow by the name of Thomas Edison who had a modest little lab in NJ.
3 Likes
Who took credit for a lot of work done by others elsewhere. grin
Letās not forget the elephant.
1 Like
Subway bread is vile. Canāt even stand the smell of it.
2 Likes
I Never made it, but I do feel like I knew about it growing upā¦
I always felt the same way about Subway. The few times I tried it over the years was more than disappointing. Sub par meat, skimpy to boot, all veggies. Just plain yucky. Then last year we were on our way home and stopped at a truck stop in OK. My husband picked up an Italian sandwich (against my better judgement). Salami, pepperoni, hot peppers and oil mix. The Italian specialty bread was fresh out of the oven and oh so crispy. Absolutely delicious and we munched on it all the way back to TX.
I tried the one in town later on wondering if it would be the same. Pitiful , just the way I remembered it used to be. Subway does have a huge following. Other than that one hit rather than miss at an OK truck stop, I still donāt understand why people flock to this place.
1 Like
Subway does not do a good job of maintaining consistency. Here there are two stores. One is miserable and the other is darn good.
3 Likes
Wait, thereās a Subway in Paris?!? Why, and who eats there (except the curious American)? At least with a McDonald or other Americana fast food chain, I see a lot of iconic appeal. All the salt and fat hides the lackluster taste. I guess I never did get the appeal of a Subway since itās essentially a sandwich/sub chain, and Iām not a huge sandwich or sub fan.
The only time I had a Subway sandwich was on a long bus ride from Arizona up to Yellowstone National Park, and we stopped at Subway for a lunch stop at a tiny strip mile that was in the middle of nowhere. Wasnāt even a particularly good sub.
Is a cake a sandwich? 
3 Likes
A layer cake, sure. Bread-y stuff with non-bread-y stuff in between.
2 Likes
I will differ about NJ and science. NJ has the top 2 schools on US News and World Reportsās ranking of top STEM High Schools in the US. One in Monmouth and one in Middlesex counties. The Sprout and I went to an open house at the Monmouth County school (she was a top math and science kid through 8th grade and I donāt think she did any of the experiments youāve described) and left halfway through. Those kids were scary smart. She ended up at another specialty HS in Monmouth.
Back in the decades your wife and siblings were in school, Bell Labs was one of the preeminent research centers in the world. Iām sure @eleeper could provide some additional background.
Of course at the opposite end of the spectrum is the cast from MTVās Jersey Shore - but most of them are from NY.
3 Likes
Actually there are quite a lot. I know some people from here, they go to McDonald every other dinner with their kids because they donāt cook.
There is a word for that. āAmerican.ā sigh
1 Like
Computer says no
Sigh back at you. Iām thinking a lot of us on HO identity as American, and DO cook.
Iām glad HO doesnāt have a smug emoji.
ETA smug may not be the right word for putting down a lot of people based on where they are from. And donāt put me down for not knowing the right word.
2 Likes
Maybe the Germans have a nice long term for those cool kids who are IN the country, but, ya know, not OF the country.
1 Like
