The Disappearing Spoon changed my views on the daily lives of scientists and their work. They are vital to our understanding of everything. They are constantly working to break new ground and reach tantalizing findings. They look forward in time, backwards in time, and, most importantly, do their best to explain the present. Even sciences that don't receive much appreciation could come out with the next big thing. Bubbles were not taken seriously, but ended up helping scientists estimate the age of the planet. At any moment, any scientist could make a revolutionary discovery. Chemists, specifically, are exceptionally vital to the day-to-day life of everybody on the planet. They improve upon toothpaste, sources of nutrition (food or drink), what we use to sanitize ourselves, what we use to amplify our human beauty (perfumes, colognes, makeup, hair dyes, lotion), and what material are the pipes that provide our running water. The life of a scientist is tedious and sometimes not very rewarding, but the glimmer of hope it offers, the hope that we can find something beyond what we have discovered, can drive a person to dedicate themselves to a project for years. All in all, yes, my ideas on the life of scientists have most definitely changed.
Kean certainly does employ various comparisons and metaphors when talking about the periodic table. The most memorable was that of a castle wall. I liked the way he explained that every brick on the wall is vital to the whole. If the wall was missing a brick, it would collapse. This metaphor emphasized the reasoning behind the placement of each element on the table, which I found easy to understand. I liked the way he used that metaphor to also explain that different parts of the periodic table are inhabited by different types of "bricks," or elements. One connection that was very new to me was the view of the periodic table as a sort of map. I found this to be most effective in the final chapter because I could visualize an ocean of instability and the area in which the "island of stability" may lie. Only a bit relevant, I also enjoyed when Kean explained why seeing atoms as small solar systems was inaccurate. I had always viewed them as such, so this was quite a surprise to me. His clarification did help me see why a electron shells, though similar, are very different from planetary orbits.
As for my favorite element, I have many. I definitely have to put argon among my list of favorites because it is a noble gas and its name is derived from a Greek word for "lazy," which I find admirable. On top of that, it was the first noble gas discovered. Another one I also like is radon. Radon is great because it is basically undetectable by the human senses. Furthermore, it's radioactive and reminds me of the name of a radioactive Japanese pterodactyl monster. Platinum and titanium are definitely on my list purely because their names just sound so powerful and regal. Tin is most definitely close to being my ultimate favorite. Why might this be so? Well, any element that manages to be the most common metal in Earth's crust and the most valuable metal at the same time is inspiring. It truly teaches us a lesson about ourselves and humanity. No matter how horrible you may be, you can always make yourself seem more valuable than you really are by making it difficult for people to get what they want from you. If I was an element, I'd be tin. Why? I would be tin because it wasn't very special for very long. However, I also protect people from aliens, hypnosis, and the like. This book taught me a lot I didn't know, especially about the elements, and I want to learn more about all of it.
Friday, August 4, 2017
Chapter 19
The final chapter of The Disappearing Spoon is entitled "Above (and Beyond) the Periodic Table." Kean introduces the reader to the element francium. Although its radioactivity gives it potential as a weapon, francium is highly reactive and unstable, and as a result, is extremely scarce. Scientists calculated that roughly between twenty to thirty ounces of francium exist at any given moment. In contrast, estimates hold that only one ounce of astatine exist. Kean explains that about 90% of the universe is made up of hydrogen, the other 10 percent is made of helium, and every other particle "is a cosmic rounding error." There are four fundamental forces in nature; gravitation, electromagnetism, strong nuclear force, and weak nuclear force. The nuclei of all atoms employ the strong nuclear force and electromagnetic force. The strong nuclear force has an extremely small range, but is about a hundred times more powerful than electrostatic force is within its own reach. Actually, the weak nuclear force is responsible for radiation.
Scientist theorize the existence of an "island of stability" further along the periodic table. They believe that past some very unstable elements with lifespans far smaller than a second, there lie more stable elements. Some of these elements already have placement names based on Greek and Latin. Kean muses that these are the last holdouts of the influence of the classical languages on science. Hypothetically, the final element is element 137, feynmanium. This is because of the alpha variable being, hopefully, fixed at 1/137. An atom with more than 137 protons, would have electrons that move faster than the speed of light, which is theoretically impossible. Kean leads into the conclusion of the chapter with some thoughts on the periodic table. If aliens arrived on Earth, they may not understand our language or cultures, or they may not even communicate vocally, but they will probably understand the periodic table. Not the periodic table's structure or numbers, but the concept. With this, Kean begins to talk about various forms of the periodic table he's seen. He amiably speaks of pyramid shaped tables, and some shaped as a Möbius trip. He also explains other designs; rows that double back, a honeycomb-style design, a pyramidal Rubik's Cube in which every piece has a different element on every face, and a solar system periodic table design with hydrogen in the center. Kean ends the book on a hopeful note, claiming that aliens would admire our periodic table.
I liked how Kean explained how the stability of elements appears to work. The "island of stability" was interesting to learn about, as common logic would make you think that elements grow more unstable as you go further along the periodic table. I also liked the part in which Kean wrote about alternate ways for the periodic table to be formatted, it was intriguing. Personally, I like a lot of the circular periodic tables, even the spiral ones. I also like the three dimensional ones because they look so surreal. If I had a bae, I would tell them not to expect a disappearing spoon in any part of this book. Frankly, I'm a bit disappointed. Still, I learned about the furthest reaches of the periodic table and how science is taking steps to reach further into new territory.
Scientist theorize the existence of an "island of stability" further along the periodic table. They believe that past some very unstable elements with lifespans far smaller than a second, there lie more stable elements. Some of these elements already have placement names based on Greek and Latin. Kean muses that these are the last holdouts of the influence of the classical languages on science. Hypothetically, the final element is element 137, feynmanium. This is because of the alpha variable being, hopefully, fixed at 1/137. An atom with more than 137 protons, would have electrons that move faster than the speed of light, which is theoretically impossible. Kean leads into the conclusion of the chapter with some thoughts on the periodic table. If aliens arrived on Earth, they may not understand our language or cultures, or they may not even communicate vocally, but they will probably understand the periodic table. Not the periodic table's structure or numbers, but the concept. With this, Kean begins to talk about various forms of the periodic table he's seen. He amiably speaks of pyramid shaped tables, and some shaped as a Möbius trip. He also explains other designs; rows that double back, a honeycomb-style design, a pyramidal Rubik's Cube in which every piece has a different element on every face, and a solar system periodic table design with hydrogen in the center. Kean ends the book on a hopeful note, claiming that aliens would admire our periodic table.
I liked how Kean explained how the stability of elements appears to work. The "island of stability" was interesting to learn about, as common logic would make you think that elements grow more unstable as you go further along the periodic table. I also liked the part in which Kean wrote about alternate ways for the periodic table to be formatted, it was intriguing. Personally, I like a lot of the circular periodic tables, even the spiral ones. I also like the three dimensional ones because they look so surreal. If I had a bae, I would tell them not to expect a disappearing spoon in any part of this book. Frankly, I'm a bit disappointed. Still, I learned about the furthest reaches of the periodic table and how science is taking steps to reach further into new territory.
Thursday, August 3, 2017
Chapter 18
Kean starts off the chapter in an already joking manner, with a title that pokes fun at the "ridiculous" precision with which scientists make their measurements. He talks about the Kilogram in France, which is a two inch wide cylinder made mostly of platinum. It weighs exactly one kilogram and serves as the universal standard that every country's knockoff version is compared to. He moves onto the subject of the atomic clock. The US developed atomic clocks that used cesium because scientists realized that measuring time by the rotation of an arbitrary rock around an unremarkable star was not the best idea. The fine structure of the electrons affects them by causing them to jump either lower or higher, then after purging one of those groups, they are isolated in a chamber and exposed to microwaves. This causes them to release photons of light. The atomic clock measures time by counting photons. Cesium is used because it has only one electron on its outermost shell. Scientists counted the amount of photons counted in a standard second, and use that to measure a second as opposed to the astronomical measurement. It is extremely important to have an exact measurement for the second because so many things in science happen in the fraction of a second, making an exact measurement of time vital to accurate scientific findings.
Kean starts to talk about the concept of constants. He refers to the fine structure constant as alpha in this section. He states that had alpha been higher or lower, the universe as we know it might not exist. It has been theorized that the alpha constant has actually changed since the beginning of the universe and, on top of that, is growing. Some Australian astronomers hypothesize that the alpha constant has changed by .001% over the last 10 billion years. Such a small change does not seem like something to fret about, but the mere idea of a constant being subject to change is infuriating. The idea of inconsistent constants brings with it the probablilty that so many important findings could be completely wrong. Scientists love constants just as much as mathematicians love variables, and as similar as the two fields are, experts in both areas appreciate the differences. A constant that varies is a paradox, or logically unacceptable and self-contradicting.
I liked that the chapter adressed the fundamentals of science: measurements. The question of how scientist could be so accurate always plagued me, but I brushed it off as something that simply was and couldn't be explained. I also like how Kean touched on the possubility of constants being variables, which would throw the scientific community into disarray and there would possibly be riots. I also found it interesting how the entire world glorifies a single French cylinder, a platinum baguette, and yearns to duplicate it. Nonetheless, I strongly prefer the measurement of mass over the measurement of weight. The latter just makes more sense physics-wise. I did not like that there was no disappearing spoon, it's chapter 18 and I'm losing hope.
I learned how atomic clocks work and why cesium is the best option for it. I also learned about fine structure and its effect on the jumping of electrons and how the alpha constant could possibly be constantly growing, which is a bit terrifying considering that constants aren't supposed to change at all. I learned that dense platinum and iridium are used in the Kilogram for various reasons including; minimizing surface area exposed to air, to minimize the buildup of parasitic static electricity, and to dampen the chances of disaster when the cylinder meets a human hand. If I had a bae I would tell them that their concept of time is not real because it is based upon the rotation of a meaningless rock around a mediocre star.
I liked that the chapter adressed the fundamentals of science: measurements. The question of how scientist could be so accurate always plagued me, but I brushed it off as something that simply was and couldn't be explained. I also like how Kean touched on the possubility of constants being variables, which would throw the scientific community into disarray and there would possibly be riots. I also found it interesting how the entire world glorifies a single French cylinder, a platinum baguette, and yearns to duplicate it. Nonetheless, I strongly prefer the measurement of mass over the measurement of weight. The latter just makes more sense physics-wise. I did not like that there was no disappearing spoon, it's chapter 18 and I'm losing hope.
I learned how atomic clocks work and why cesium is the best option for it. I also learned about fine structure and its effect on the jumping of electrons and how the alpha constant could possibly be constantly growing, which is a bit terrifying considering that constants aren't supposed to change at all. I learned that dense platinum and iridium are used in the Kilogram for various reasons including; minimizing surface area exposed to air, to minimize the buildup of parasitic static electricity, and to dampen the chances of disaster when the cylinder meets a human hand. If I had a bae I would tell them that their concept of time is not real because it is based upon the rotation of a meaningless rock around a mediocre star.
Chapter 17
Kean takes a more comic approach with this chapter's title: "Spheres of Splendor: The Science of Bubbles." Kean states that bubbles had often been seen as something for children, unimportant to scientists. However, this would come to change due to a man named Donald Glaser. One day at a bar, he was watching the foam on top of his drink. Legend has it that, after finishing his drink, he had an entire experiment planned in which he would implement his new creation, the bubble chamber. Scientists want to believe in this story, but in truth Glaser created the bubble chamber through experimentation in a lab. Kean comically states that Glaser decided that the best liquid to utilize in his bubble chamber was beer, and not liquid hydrogen, "for Lord knows what reason." The beer experiments flopped and his lab partners disliked the smell left by the ale after it was vaporized. Luis Alvarez would later decide that liquid hydrogen was, quite astonishingly, the best liquid for them to use. Glaser would be among the fifteen scientists on the 1960's Time magazine Men of the Year cover. He would also win a Nobel Prize at the age of thirty three, incredibly young for a winner, and would borrow McMillan and Segrè's white vest for that ceremony, as he had moved to Berkeley.
Kean then goes on to give a brief history of bubbles. He identifies calcium as the elements most notable for forming bubbles and foams. He mentions how spongy bone is tough, yet light, and how NASA uses foam to protect shuttles on reentry. Calcium rocks such as marble and limestone are used by ancient sculptors, and the chemical recation between rainwater and calcium creates caves. Beyond that, Kean states that the calcium-rich coves on the southern coast of England are strongly tied to the history of the area and humanity's effect on geography. They were originally limestone quarries, the Romans arrived and stripped it of its limestone and then the English themselves took more limestone to build things such as the Tower of London. The caverns left behind would be used by pirates smuggling French goods to England due to an English tax on French goods meant to spite the French government and Napoleon. England's incompetence in the field of stopping smugglers led them to establish free trade and made England economically prosperous.
Kean talks about a scientist named Ernest Rutherford. Rutherford built on Marie Curie's work and suspected that "pure radioactivity" was an undiscovered element. He drew bubbles off the gas created by a decaying active sample into an inverted flask and he and his partner proved that the bubbles were a new element. The method they used to discover this new element, radon, brought to light new rules that allowed scientists to move across the periodic table with ease. They had essentially discovered a scientifically accurate form of alchemy and transmutation. Even later, Rutherford would learn how to estimate the age of a radioactive rock by the bubbles inside of it. This paved the way for scientists to make later educated guesses in regards to the age of the Earth, and maybe even the universe.
I liked Kean's storytelling prowess, which never fails to make a chapter uninteresting. The element radon brings childhood memories of a giant Japanese pterodactyl monster, which is always a good thing. Learning about radioactivity is always interesting because of my childhood spent watching Japanese monster movies. I can see not only the flaws in the movie science, but also the inspiration and interpretation of science. I also like how Marie Curie's legacy continues, highlighting the mark left on the world by refugee scientists. If I had a bae, I would tell them that bubbles are not simply fun toys, but have proved exceptionally vital to modern science.
Kean then goes on to give a brief history of bubbles. He identifies calcium as the elements most notable for forming bubbles and foams. He mentions how spongy bone is tough, yet light, and how NASA uses foam to protect shuttles on reentry. Calcium rocks such as marble and limestone are used by ancient sculptors, and the chemical recation between rainwater and calcium creates caves. Beyond that, Kean states that the calcium-rich coves on the southern coast of England are strongly tied to the history of the area and humanity's effect on geography. They were originally limestone quarries, the Romans arrived and stripped it of its limestone and then the English themselves took more limestone to build things such as the Tower of London. The caverns left behind would be used by pirates smuggling French goods to England due to an English tax on French goods meant to spite the French government and Napoleon. England's incompetence in the field of stopping smugglers led them to establish free trade and made England economically prosperous.
Kean talks about a scientist named Ernest Rutherford. Rutherford built on Marie Curie's work and suspected that "pure radioactivity" was an undiscovered element. He drew bubbles off the gas created by a decaying active sample into an inverted flask and he and his partner proved that the bubbles were a new element. The method they used to discover this new element, radon, brought to light new rules that allowed scientists to move across the periodic table with ease. They had essentially discovered a scientifically accurate form of alchemy and transmutation. Even later, Rutherford would learn how to estimate the age of a radioactive rock by the bubbles inside of it. This paved the way for scientists to make later educated guesses in regards to the age of the Earth, and maybe even the universe.
I liked Kean's storytelling prowess, which never fails to make a chapter uninteresting. The element radon brings childhood memories of a giant Japanese pterodactyl monster, which is always a good thing. Learning about radioactivity is always interesting because of my childhood spent watching Japanese monster movies. I can see not only the flaws in the movie science, but also the inspiration and interpretation of science. I also like how Marie Curie's legacy continues, highlighting the mark left on the world by refugee scientists. If I had a bae, I would tell them that bubbles are not simply fun toys, but have proved exceptionally vital to modern science.
Wednesday, August 2, 2017
Chapter 16
Chapter 16 starts with Kean discussing the race to the south pole, which fits alongside the chapter's make:"Chemistry Way, Way Below Zero." Robert Falcon Scott and his team of Englishmen sought to be the first to reach the south pole. That year was among the coldest in Antartica, but they were determined to be the first to make it to the southernmost part of the planet. A caravan of support teams want ahead of them and dropped supplies for them to use on their return trip. Scott's team made it, but found that a Norwegian had already made it a month earlier. Defeated, they returned back, but found that many of their supplies had been rendered useless or depleted. The year before, Scott had found that leather seals leaked badly and decided to use tin this time around. However, when the team found their supplies, many of the canisters were empty and had leaked fuel onto the food.
Kean explains this as tin's shape changing property and the effects of tin leprosy. Tin is capable of two solid forms, alpha and beta, a reaction that is catalyzed by extreme conditions. Scott's team did not make it back alive, dying about 11 miles away from the British base. Kean then goes on to talk about the various states of matter. Looking past the standard of solids, liquids, gases, and even plasma, Kean mentions superconductors, superfluid helium, quark-gluon plasma, and degenerate matter. He goes on to talk about the misuse of the uncertainty principle, mostly by pathological scientists. He ends the chapter on a hopeful more regarding the BEC, or Bose-Einstein Condensate. Laser is an acronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation," while maser is an acronym for "microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation."
I liked the cold story in the beginning, it was closely tied to the title of the chapter and showed the bleak reality of science. Untested things tend to go awry, unless by some stroke of luck, and can cause disasters that cost people their lives. It was really interesting to learn of elements having more than one solid "form," that had never occurred to me. Seeing states of matter beyond the standard your was interesting, as I looked them up to learn a bit more on them. I never anticipated that laser was an acronym, much less did I anticipate how it worked. The section about lasers really makes sci-fi seem both less realistic, but also more within reach of humanity.
I learned that it is always smart to test something before trying to use it to help you trek dangerous terrain. I also learned that elements behave erratically under extreme conditions and can have more than one form. On top of that, I learned that electron shells operate on a whole number system. It was also very interesting to learn about the more obscure states of matter. I would tell my bae that if they ever ask me what state of matter jello is, I will leave them and run away to Paris.
Kean explains this as tin's shape changing property and the effects of tin leprosy. Tin is capable of two solid forms, alpha and beta, a reaction that is catalyzed by extreme conditions. Scott's team did not make it back alive, dying about 11 miles away from the British base. Kean then goes on to talk about the various states of matter. Looking past the standard of solids, liquids, gases, and even plasma, Kean mentions superconductors, superfluid helium, quark-gluon plasma, and degenerate matter. He goes on to talk about the misuse of the uncertainty principle, mostly by pathological scientists. He ends the chapter on a hopeful more regarding the BEC, or Bose-Einstein Condensate. Laser is an acronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation," while maser is an acronym for "microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation."
I liked the cold story in the beginning, it was closely tied to the title of the chapter and showed the bleak reality of science. Untested things tend to go awry, unless by some stroke of luck, and can cause disasters that cost people their lives. It was really interesting to learn of elements having more than one solid "form," that had never occurred to me. Seeing states of matter beyond the standard your was interesting, as I looked them up to learn a bit more on them. I never anticipated that laser was an acronym, much less did I anticipate how it worked. The section about lasers really makes sci-fi seem both less realistic, but also more within reach of humanity.
I learned that it is always smart to test something before trying to use it to help you trek dangerous terrain. I also learned that elements behave erratically under extreme conditions and can have more than one form. On top of that, I learned that electron shells operate on a whole number system. It was also very interesting to learn about the more obscure states of matter. I would tell my bae that if they ever ask me what state of matter jello is, I will leave them and run away to Paris.
Tuesday, August 1, 2017
Chapter 15
Chapter 15 is entitled "An Element of Madness." It references the madness of Robert Lowell and introduces The idea of a mad scientist. The foreshadows Kean's subject throughout the chapter, pathological science. Pathological scientists are not driven by data and discovery, but by an obsession with something, an emotional need for something they believe to be true. William Crookes is the first pathological scientist Kean dives into. After the death of his brother, Crookes grew obsessed with spiritualism. Often cited by ghost hunters, instead of refuting spiritualism as scientifically implausible, he began to run experiments that he felt proved the beliefs held by spiritualists. Despite his great work in selenium, a toxic element known for being eaten by cattle and producing dangerous highs in them, he has provided sustenance for self-proclaimed rebels.
Kean goes into the story surrounding the megalodon, an ancient species of shark that is known for being gargantuan. Because megalodon teeth was found covered in manganese, scientists could estimate the giant shark's timespan and extinction. Most of the teeth had 1.5 million years worth of manganese, but one particular tooth only had about eleven thousand years of manganese grown on it. This prompted some people to make absurd claims of its continued existence, defending their views with the existence of the coelacanth, which was thought to be extinct before being found in an African fish market.
Kean also talks about the "discovery" that B. Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann. They convinced themselves and claimed that they had discovered cold fusion. Cold fusion is the idea of a nuclear reaction that produces energy at room temperature, as opposed to the reactions that occur in stars and use more energy. This is similar to a perpetual motion machine because it produces energy (nuclear or kinetic) and required little to no energy input. They would be remembered for their failure, all because of their rush for glory. The opposite occurred for William Röntgen, who discovered what we now call x-rays. Not wanting to make any declarations too soon, he ran test after test in an effort to find the error in his work. At first, ge believed he was going mad, but he had his wife try it and she saw the same thing he saw: an image of the bones in her hand. She believed it to be an omen of death, but he was ecstatic to learn that he wasn't going mad or imagining the entire thing. This worked out in the end, as whenever a scientist tried to contradict him, he could say that he already tried that. His caution brought him glory, while the lack thereof caused the sharp downfall of the cold fusion duo.
I like that this chapter went over mad science, something often seen as a fictional trope. It brought real life examples of scientists driven to madness, or those who landed close. Crookes went mad after the death of his brother and tried to provide obscure or unreliable scientific data to prove spiritualism. Pons and Fleischmann were blinded by their mad desire to make an important discovery. Röntgen believed he was mad before validating his discovery with another person.
Kean goes into the story surrounding the megalodon, an ancient species of shark that is known for being gargantuan. Because megalodon teeth was found covered in manganese, scientists could estimate the giant shark's timespan and extinction. Most of the teeth had 1.5 million years worth of manganese, but one particular tooth only had about eleven thousand years of manganese grown on it. This prompted some people to make absurd claims of its continued existence, defending their views with the existence of the coelacanth, which was thought to be extinct before being found in an African fish market.
Kean also talks about the "discovery" that B. Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann. They convinced themselves and claimed that they had discovered cold fusion. Cold fusion is the idea of a nuclear reaction that produces energy at room temperature, as opposed to the reactions that occur in stars and use more energy. This is similar to a perpetual motion machine because it produces energy (nuclear or kinetic) and required little to no energy input. They would be remembered for their failure, all because of their rush for glory. The opposite occurred for William Röntgen, who discovered what we now call x-rays. Not wanting to make any declarations too soon, he ran test after test in an effort to find the error in his work. At first, ge believed he was going mad, but he had his wife try it and she saw the same thing he saw: an image of the bones in her hand. She believed it to be an omen of death, but he was ecstatic to learn that he wasn't going mad or imagining the entire thing. This worked out in the end, as whenever a scientist tried to contradict him, he could say that he already tried that. His caution brought him glory, while the lack thereof caused the sharp downfall of the cold fusion duo.
I like that this chapter went over mad science, something often seen as a fictional trope. It brought real life examples of scientists driven to madness, or those who landed close. Crookes went mad after the death of his brother and tried to provide obscure or unreliable scientific data to prove spiritualism. Pons and Fleischmann were blinded by their mad desire to make an important discovery. Röntgen believed he was mad before validating his discovery with another person.
Chapter 14
Kean first reinforces that money is intertwined with how and when science was done. He emphasizes that those with money were the only ones capable of affording the equipment necessary to do science. His first subject is a man by the name of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. He was a German author and nobleman. He was highly involved in government, philosophy, and science.
Goethe wasn't exactly a great scientist, as most of his "science" was in more of a poetic format and not based upon actual studies. His masterwork, Faust, incorporated his wonder in the science of his time. Ironically, it was a story of scientific hubris, something he wasn't willing to admit about himself. However, his greatest and most lasting contribution to science is his patronage for J.W. Dobereiner. Dobereiner observed elements with key similarities and would call these groups of three elements "triads." These triads would later be viewed as the columns of the periodic table.
Kean later talks about the American author Mark Twain and poet Robert Lowell. Kean describes Twain as prescient. This is mostlydue to Twain showing incredible foresight into the future of science, as with most science fiction. He even had a version of Satan in one of his stories who was made of radium and wore a thin polonium jacket to protect the world from his radioactivity (which actually is not plausible). Lowell was admired for his rather mad form of art. Unfortunately, his madness persisted in all parts of his life, as he was likely bipolar due to a chemical imbalance within him. He once believed that he himself was the Virgin Mary, or that he could stop traffic by spreading out his arms. Stability returned to his life through the use of lithium. Lithium, in a salt-like form, would work to fix the body's natural clock and stop the occurrence of a future manic episode.
I liked how Kean dove into literature in this chapter, discussing famous authors whose lives or stories were intertwined with science. I liked the story of Robert Lowell. It's explanation of early antidepressants was informative and interesting. That is definitely something I would like to learn more about. I didn't like the lack of any disappearing spoons, that was a bit disappointing. If I had a bae, I'd tell them that antidepressants such as lithium help me tolerate them. I'd also tell them that I would enjoy testing Goether's theory of human couples working like chemical reactions.
Goethe wasn't exactly a great scientist, as most of his "science" was in more of a poetic format and not based upon actual studies. His masterwork, Faust, incorporated his wonder in the science of his time. Ironically, it was a story of scientific hubris, something he wasn't willing to admit about himself. However, his greatest and most lasting contribution to science is his patronage for J.W. Dobereiner. Dobereiner observed elements with key similarities and would call these groups of three elements "triads." These triads would later be viewed as the columns of the periodic table.
Kean later talks about the American author Mark Twain and poet Robert Lowell. Kean describes Twain as prescient. This is mostlydue to Twain showing incredible foresight into the future of science, as with most science fiction. He even had a version of Satan in one of his stories who was made of radium and wore a thin polonium jacket to protect the world from his radioactivity (which actually is not plausible). Lowell was admired for his rather mad form of art. Unfortunately, his madness persisted in all parts of his life, as he was likely bipolar due to a chemical imbalance within him. He once believed that he himself was the Virgin Mary, or that he could stop traffic by spreading out his arms. Stability returned to his life through the use of lithium. Lithium, in a salt-like form, would work to fix the body's natural clock and stop the occurrence of a future manic episode.
I liked how Kean dove into literature in this chapter, discussing famous authors whose lives or stories were intertwined with science. I liked the story of Robert Lowell. It's explanation of early antidepressants was informative and interesting. That is definitely something I would like to learn more about. I didn't like the lack of any disappearing spoons, that was a bit disappointing. If I had a bae, I'd tell them that antidepressants such as lithium help me tolerate them. I'd also tell them that I would enjoy testing Goether's theory of human couples working like chemical reactions.
Monday, July 31, 2017
Chapter 13
Chapter 13
The thirteenth chapter begins with Kean reinforcing history's importance to chemistry, but also explaining that money has continuously dictated science in nearly every way. He starts talking about myths. He focuses on the Midas' touch, or the golden touch, and the lost city of gold. The myth of Midas' touch was likely a misunderstanding that resulted from Midas' kingdom use of brass, which appears more golden then the bronze that was in use at the time. The lost city of gold is used as a jumping point to describe humanity's odd obsession with gold and the measures they will take to find it. Hannah's Find was the site of a gold rush that, like many gold rushes, was hectic and dangerous. It is viewed as the first gold rush instigated by "fool's fool's gold." Cavalrite was seen as a useless mineral until they learned that could extract the gold from it rather easily. The chemical formula for fool's gold, or pyrite, is FeS2.
Kean begins to detail the history of counterfeiting, from the 6th century BC to the present day. Isaac Newton himself became the master of the Royal Mint of England in the late 1600s and prosecuted many counterfeiters. The introsuction of paper money made it far more difficult for people to counterfeit money, as knowledge of metalworking was far more widespread in that era. Kean admits that the reverse is true today, as there are many people that could make a passable dollar bill but not many who could make a coin. Kean begins to explain how electron behavior has been instrumental in the euro's security from counterfeiting. A special laser shows images on the euro (which contains europium) that show whether or not the bill was created by the European Union. An interesting thing that Kean notes is that aluminum was far more valuable than gold, despite being the most common metal in the earth's crust. Having the Washington Monument capped with aluminum is a bit anachronistic because aluminum no longer holds the value that it once had.
I liked that Kean tied fiction to chemistry and explained it like so. As a child, I have always found myself mesmerized by such legends as the lost city of gold and the golden touch, and this chapter really opened my eyes to the human condition and views on chemistry from less scientifically developed societies. I liked how Kean was brutally honest regarding the hilarity of the gold rush at Hannah's Find. I also particularly enjoyed the section about aluminum and found it funny that such a cheap metal was Inc considered glorious and a sign of wealth.
I learned that at some point in time, the material that conspiracy theorists use for protective hats was a highly prized metal. I also learned that the counterfeiting of currency isn't something new, but something that has persisted since the early days of currency. I would tell my bae that we should learn the secret to counterfeiting euros, move to Germany, and live out our days, happily swimming in our wealth. Then, when somebody gets close to catching us, we will move to an obscure southeast Asian island and live off of our trust fund on a small rice farm.
The thirteenth chapter begins with Kean reinforcing history's importance to chemistry, but also explaining that money has continuously dictated science in nearly every way. He starts talking about myths. He focuses on the Midas' touch, or the golden touch, and the lost city of gold. The myth of Midas' touch was likely a misunderstanding that resulted from Midas' kingdom use of brass, which appears more golden then the bronze that was in use at the time. The lost city of gold is used as a jumping point to describe humanity's odd obsession with gold and the measures they will take to find it. Hannah's Find was the site of a gold rush that, like many gold rushes, was hectic and dangerous. It is viewed as the first gold rush instigated by "fool's fool's gold." Cavalrite was seen as a useless mineral until they learned that could extract the gold from it rather easily. The chemical formula for fool's gold, or pyrite, is FeS2.
Kean begins to detail the history of counterfeiting, from the 6th century BC to the present day. Isaac Newton himself became the master of the Royal Mint of England in the late 1600s and prosecuted many counterfeiters. The introsuction of paper money made it far more difficult for people to counterfeit money, as knowledge of metalworking was far more widespread in that era. Kean admits that the reverse is true today, as there are many people that could make a passable dollar bill but not many who could make a coin. Kean begins to explain how electron behavior has been instrumental in the euro's security from counterfeiting. A special laser shows images on the euro (which contains europium) that show whether or not the bill was created by the European Union. An interesting thing that Kean notes is that aluminum was far more valuable than gold, despite being the most common metal in the earth's crust. Having the Washington Monument capped with aluminum is a bit anachronistic because aluminum no longer holds the value that it once had.
I liked that Kean tied fiction to chemistry and explained it like so. As a child, I have always found myself mesmerized by such legends as the lost city of gold and the golden touch, and this chapter really opened my eyes to the human condition and views on chemistry from less scientifically developed societies. I liked how Kean was brutally honest regarding the hilarity of the gold rush at Hannah's Find. I also particularly enjoyed the section about aluminum and found it funny that such a cheap metal was Inc considered glorious and a sign of wealth.
I learned that at some point in time, the material that conspiracy theorists use for protective hats was a highly prized metal. I also learned that the counterfeiting of currency isn't something new, but something that has persisted since the early days of currency. I would tell my bae that we should learn the secret to counterfeiting euros, move to Germany, and live out our days, happily swimming in our wealth. Then, when somebody gets close to catching us, we will move to an obscure southeast Asian island and live off of our trust fund on a small rice farm.
Friday, July 28, 2017
Chapter 12
Chapter 12
Chapter 12 begins with Kean talking about how the periodic table is a representation of humanity, its spirit, and its shortcomings. He explains that the history of the elements is not only scientific, but also social. His first story of the chapter is that of the Curies. In the 1890s, Marie and Pierre Curie's science collaboration was exceptionally fruitful. Marie Curie was a refugee scientist from Poland who searched for better academic opportunity in France. They shared a Nobel Prize in 1903 for their work on radioactivity. They would later discover two new elements that were extremely radioactive: polonium and radium. She recieved a Nobel Prize for their discovery in 1911. She did not share the second Nobel Prize with her husband because he had gotten ran over and died in 1906. Their daughter, Irene, was also a brilliant scientist, but her work with polonium would cause her to contract and die from Leukemia in 1956, twenty two years after her mother met the same fate.
The second story is that of a friend of Irene's, György Hevesy. He is notable for developing radioactive tracers, to prove whether his landlord was serving the same food everyday. Hevesy would later hide two Nobel Prize medals in his lab by dissolving them and would later have them recast.
Kean moves on to talk about two scientists named Otto Hahn and Lise Meitner. Hahn was the chemist of the duo, whilst Meitner dealt with the physics of their work. Meitner would be consistently loyal to her partner, giving him credit when she believed he deserved it and even giving up her own credit to Hahn for the sake of the political turmoil publishing her own findings could cause. Hahn would recieve a sole Nobel Prize in 1944 and fail to speak up for his partner. Meitner would later be immortalized as element 109: meitnerium.
I liked this chapter, it was very blunt and informative about social problems that have plagued science for the longest time. It spoke about some of the most important women to science and how undervalued some of them went, or the obstacles they faced. I also liked that the chapter started diving into radioactivity a bit more, it seems really interesting.
I learned that occasionally scientists discover something and either don't realize they discovered it or do not believe in themselves enough to believe in themselves, and that that has caused some tension over who exactly discovered what. I would tell my bae that science is a tough field to work in when politics are so influential. Political missteps can ruin scientific discoveries.
Chapter 12 begins with Kean talking about how the periodic table is a representation of humanity, its spirit, and its shortcomings. He explains that the history of the elements is not only scientific, but also social. His first story of the chapter is that of the Curies. In the 1890s, Marie and Pierre Curie's science collaboration was exceptionally fruitful. Marie Curie was a refugee scientist from Poland who searched for better academic opportunity in France. They shared a Nobel Prize in 1903 for their work on radioactivity. They would later discover two new elements that were extremely radioactive: polonium and radium. She recieved a Nobel Prize for their discovery in 1911. She did not share the second Nobel Prize with her husband because he had gotten ran over and died in 1906. Their daughter, Irene, was also a brilliant scientist, but her work with polonium would cause her to contract and die from Leukemia in 1956, twenty two years after her mother met the same fate.
The second story is that of a friend of Irene's, György Hevesy. He is notable for developing radioactive tracers, to prove whether his landlord was serving the same food everyday. Hevesy would later hide two Nobel Prize medals in his lab by dissolving them and would later have them recast.
Kean moves on to talk about two scientists named Otto Hahn and Lise Meitner. Hahn was the chemist of the duo, whilst Meitner dealt with the physics of their work. Meitner would be consistently loyal to her partner, giving him credit when she believed he deserved it and even giving up her own credit to Hahn for the sake of the political turmoil publishing her own findings could cause. Hahn would recieve a sole Nobel Prize in 1944 and fail to speak up for his partner. Meitner would later be immortalized as element 109: meitnerium.
I liked this chapter, it was very blunt and informative about social problems that have plagued science for the longest time. It spoke about some of the most important women to science and how undervalued some of them went, or the obstacles they faced. I also liked that the chapter started diving into radioactivity a bit more, it seems really interesting.
I learned that occasionally scientists discover something and either don't realize they discovered it or do not believe in themselves enough to believe in themselves, and that that has caused some tension over who exactly discovered what. I would tell my bae that science is a tough field to work in when politics are so influential. Political missteps can ruin scientific discoveries.
Chapter 11
Chapter 11
Kean starts off the chapter by reiterating the wonderful surprise that rhodium could create something as potent at L-dopa. However, he writes that not all surprises are good, reasoning that many elements, under the right circumstances, can result in very malevolent surprises. His first example is the story of five technicians working on NASA's Columbia shuttle. They had finished a 30 hour work day and were going to do a routine systems check, so they crawled into a cramped compartment above the engine. Once in there, they all peacefully slumped over. When they were take out, three were dead, one was able to be revived, and the other was in a coma (but would die on April Fools' Day). The last time lives were lost under NASA's supervision was when three astronauts were burned to death in 1967 during training for Apollo I. This occurred because of a spark that went off and took advantage of the high concentration of oxygen, allowing it to set the area ablaze and kill the three astronauts. By the time of the Columbia mission, any chamber that was known to spark was pumped with inert nitrogen because it can smother sparks to help avoid any fires. The five technicians entered the chamber before breathable oxygen was pumped in and the nitrogen killed them passively. Nitrogen is easy to breathe in and out, and as long as carbon dioxide is being exhaled, the body is not alarmed. Nitrogen's ability to bypass the body's security system makes it a silent killer. Still, nitrogen is important to living things because it is a crucial part of amino acids, which form a body's proteins.
Kean then goes on to talk about how titanium has oddly proven to be an exceptional material for prosthetics. It attaches to the bone without causing infections and even tricks the body into thinking it is a bone. This caused a much needed change from from other materials, such as wood, that were often rejected by the body. Kean begins to explain how the taste buds work, changing the subject. He mentions that potassium and sodium use ions to cause the taste buds to detect saltiness, and so they taste salty. Beryllium is sweet like sugar, but can be toxic to humans.
Speaking of salt, India has had a history of tension surrounding the salt industry. This stems from Gandhi's Salt March to Dandi to protest the British salt tax. Gandhi encouraged the Indian people to make illegal salt, known as common salt. However, common salt is iodine-deficient. Iodine is extremely crucial to one's health and helps to prevent birth defects and mental illnesses. Even after being banned, it is still a big problem in India. An English philospher named Bertrand Russel would use iodine to tie chemistry to mental ability, and possibly even to the essence of the human spirit.
I liked that Kean explained thoroughly just how deceitful elements can be, especially those that are hazardous to our health. I especially liked that Kean injected a personal story into this chapter, it really helped provide a tangible display of this chapter's message at work. I liked the NASA technician story because it proved just how experimental chemistry is and how vital it is to so many other branches of science. I learned that not all things that are sweet are sugar and not all things that are salty are salt. I would tell my bae to watch out and never eat it drink anything I give them while I'm angry at them.
Kean starts off the chapter by reiterating the wonderful surprise that rhodium could create something as potent at L-dopa. However, he writes that not all surprises are good, reasoning that many elements, under the right circumstances, can result in very malevolent surprises. His first example is the story of five technicians working on NASA's Columbia shuttle. They had finished a 30 hour work day and were going to do a routine systems check, so they crawled into a cramped compartment above the engine. Once in there, they all peacefully slumped over. When they were take out, three were dead, one was able to be revived, and the other was in a coma (but would die on April Fools' Day). The last time lives were lost under NASA's supervision was when three astronauts were burned to death in 1967 during training for Apollo I. This occurred because of a spark that went off and took advantage of the high concentration of oxygen, allowing it to set the area ablaze and kill the three astronauts. By the time of the Columbia mission, any chamber that was known to spark was pumped with inert nitrogen because it can smother sparks to help avoid any fires. The five technicians entered the chamber before breathable oxygen was pumped in and the nitrogen killed them passively. Nitrogen is easy to breathe in and out, and as long as carbon dioxide is being exhaled, the body is not alarmed. Nitrogen's ability to bypass the body's security system makes it a silent killer. Still, nitrogen is important to living things because it is a crucial part of amino acids, which form a body's proteins.
Kean then goes on to talk about how titanium has oddly proven to be an exceptional material for prosthetics. It attaches to the bone without causing infections and even tricks the body into thinking it is a bone. This caused a much needed change from from other materials, such as wood, that were often rejected by the body. Kean begins to explain how the taste buds work, changing the subject. He mentions that potassium and sodium use ions to cause the taste buds to detect saltiness, and so they taste salty. Beryllium is sweet like sugar, but can be toxic to humans.
Speaking of salt, India has had a history of tension surrounding the salt industry. This stems from Gandhi's Salt March to Dandi to protest the British salt tax. Gandhi encouraged the Indian people to make illegal salt, known as common salt. However, common salt is iodine-deficient. Iodine is extremely crucial to one's health and helps to prevent birth defects and mental illnesses. Even after being banned, it is still a big problem in India. An English philospher named Bertrand Russel would use iodine to tie chemistry to mental ability, and possibly even to the essence of the human spirit.
I liked that Kean explained thoroughly just how deceitful elements can be, especially those that are hazardous to our health. I especially liked that Kean injected a personal story into this chapter, it really helped provide a tangible display of this chapter's message at work. I liked the NASA technician story because it proved just how experimental chemistry is and how vital it is to so many other branches of science. I learned that not all things that are sweet are sugar and not all things that are salty are salt. I would tell my bae to watch out and never eat it drink anything I give them while I'm angry at them.
Chapter 10
Chapter 10
Summary- The chapter begins with a mention of the peculiarity of the periodic table and the various nearly unpredictable ways in which elements may react under diverse circumstances. The first element Kean makes a bit of is silver. He mentions that Roman generals had generally better health than other memeber of the military because they dined on silver plates. Pioneer families in America would travel with a silver coin in their milk to keep it from spoiling. Science would later prove that both silver and copper have antiseptic effects. Copper is used in infrastructure due to its self-sterilizing nature. Kean talks about vanadium, its nature as a spermicide, and its side effect of mysteriously raising and lowering blood glucose levels (causing it to be marketed online as a cure for diabetes). Kean also talks about gadolinium and its potential as a cancer treatment.
Kean tells about a man named Stan Jones, who ran for the US Senate seat in 2002 and again in 2006. He had blue skin, which stemmed from an experiment fueled by his unshakeable faith in silver's power as an antibiotic. He had been trying to boost the strength of his immune system in preparation for the expected apocalyptic event in 2000. Even after he developed argyria, a condition in which exposure to silver causes a human's skin to turn blue, he still believed strongly in the antiseptic capabilities of silver. Kean goes on to explain the "handedness" of elements and "chirality." He later talks about a man named Gerhard Domagk, who is attributed with making a major step forward in pharmaceuticals. He developed a vaccine from an industrial red dye to his fever-stricken daughter, who appeared to get worse right after, and suddenly recovered three years later. Kean explains how important a single sulfur atom is to the dye, prontosil. William Knowles would be immortalized for using rhodium to create L-dopa, which had extremely positive effect on patients with Parkinson's disease.
I liked the narrative style of Kean's writing that is akin to a timeline of chemistry on the planet. It was interesting to see that some medicines aren't actually medicines, and are marketed as something else because the company selling it is oblivious to its medical potential. I learned that "chirality" is crucial to a complete understanding of how and why an element or substance will behave in a specific environment, or how well it may perform a task. I would tell my imaginary bae that only left-handed L-dopa gave the intended result, which proves my previous statement, but also raised questions as to exactly how chirality works.
Summary- The chapter begins with a mention of the peculiarity of the periodic table and the various nearly unpredictable ways in which elements may react under diverse circumstances. The first element Kean makes a bit of is silver. He mentions that Roman generals had generally better health than other memeber of the military because they dined on silver plates. Pioneer families in America would travel with a silver coin in their milk to keep it from spoiling. Science would later prove that both silver and copper have antiseptic effects. Copper is used in infrastructure due to its self-sterilizing nature. Kean talks about vanadium, its nature as a spermicide, and its side effect of mysteriously raising and lowering blood glucose levels (causing it to be marketed online as a cure for diabetes). Kean also talks about gadolinium and its potential as a cancer treatment.
Kean tells about a man named Stan Jones, who ran for the US Senate seat in 2002 and again in 2006. He had blue skin, which stemmed from an experiment fueled by his unshakeable faith in silver's power as an antibiotic. He had been trying to boost the strength of his immune system in preparation for the expected apocalyptic event in 2000. Even after he developed argyria, a condition in which exposure to silver causes a human's skin to turn blue, he still believed strongly in the antiseptic capabilities of silver. Kean goes on to explain the "handedness" of elements and "chirality." He later talks about a man named Gerhard Domagk, who is attributed with making a major step forward in pharmaceuticals. He developed a vaccine from an industrial red dye to his fever-stricken daughter, who appeared to get worse right after, and suddenly recovered three years later. Kean explains how important a single sulfur atom is to the dye, prontosil. William Knowles would be immortalized for using rhodium to create L-dopa, which had extremely positive effect on patients with Parkinson's disease.
I liked the narrative style of Kean's writing that is akin to a timeline of chemistry on the planet. It was interesting to see that some medicines aren't actually medicines, and are marketed as something else because the company selling it is oblivious to its medical potential. I learned that "chirality" is crucial to a complete understanding of how and why an element or substance will behave in a specific environment, or how well it may perform a task. I would tell my imaginary bae that only left-handed L-dopa gave the intended result, which proves my previous statement, but also raised questions as to exactly how chirality works.
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Summary- Kean commences this chapter with "the rules of biology are much more delicate than the rules of chemistry." He uses this line to usher in an explanation about various poisonous elements. He refers to these as "poisoner's corridor." The chapter's first story is about an incident involving cadmium in Japan. Japanese demand for metal in times of war led to increased mining for zinc, but zinc was often mixed in with cadmium. The miners would purify the zinc and dump the cadium elsewhere, usually in streams or on the ground. Soon, locals would fall ill. They had joint trouble, deep bone pain, and failing kidneys. A local doctor named Noboru Hagino would figure out that cadmium was traveling through cadmium streams and being soaked up by the rice. Because rice was the main part of the locals' diets, cadmium poisoning was widespread. This event's influence would reach films, with Godzilla being killed off by cadmium-tipped missiles. Kean then goes into detail about other dangerous elements: thallium and bismuth.
Kean's second story of the chapter is that of a certain David Hahn, known as the "Radioactive Boy Scout." His original motivation for his actions was to earn an atomic energy merit badge, but he went further despite his projects all being failures and disasters. He received most of his knowledge from government officials, writing under the guise of a professor called "Professor Hahn" who wished to come up with experiments for his students. He aspired to build a "breeder reactor," which is essentially self-sufficient. He would need uranium-233 and thorium-232. He never truly got close to building the reactor, as he never got enough uranium-233. He bought some ordinary and unenriched uranium and used a "neutron gun" to irradiate it, which only barely worked. He would later join the Navy in an attempt to work on nuclear submarines. Because of his history, the Navy assigned him to kitchen patrol and sanitation. After he left the military and returning to his hometown, he was caught stealing fire alarms, likely searching for americium.
I liked the story about David Hahn. It was interesting and engaging, it caught your attention and kept it. The story about cadmium was also an interesting narrative. It shows just how intertwined chemistry and history are, and just how important environmental regulations are, too. I definitely liked that Kean explained how the poisonous metals affect our bodies, which was intriguing and very much like a standard virus. There wasn't anything I didn't like.
Summary- Kean commences this chapter with "the rules of biology are much more delicate than the rules of chemistry." He uses this line to usher in an explanation about various poisonous elements. He refers to these as "poisoner's corridor." The chapter's first story is about an incident involving cadmium in Japan. Japanese demand for metal in times of war led to increased mining for zinc, but zinc was often mixed in with cadmium. The miners would purify the zinc and dump the cadium elsewhere, usually in streams or on the ground. Soon, locals would fall ill. They had joint trouble, deep bone pain, and failing kidneys. A local doctor named Noboru Hagino would figure out that cadmium was traveling through cadmium streams and being soaked up by the rice. Because rice was the main part of the locals' diets, cadmium poisoning was widespread. This event's influence would reach films, with Godzilla being killed off by cadmium-tipped missiles. Kean then goes into detail about other dangerous elements: thallium and bismuth.
Kean's second story of the chapter is that of a certain David Hahn, known as the "Radioactive Boy Scout." His original motivation for his actions was to earn an atomic energy merit badge, but he went further despite his projects all being failures and disasters. He received most of his knowledge from government officials, writing under the guise of a professor called "Professor Hahn" who wished to come up with experiments for his students. He aspired to build a "breeder reactor," which is essentially self-sufficient. He would need uranium-233 and thorium-232. He never truly got close to building the reactor, as he never got enough uranium-233. He bought some ordinary and unenriched uranium and used a "neutron gun" to irradiate it, which only barely worked. He would later join the Navy in an attempt to work on nuclear submarines. Because of his history, the Navy assigned him to kitchen patrol and sanitation. After he left the military and returning to his hometown, he was caught stealing fire alarms, likely searching for americium.
I liked the story about David Hahn. It was interesting and engaging, it caught your attention and kept it. The story about cadmium was also an interesting narrative. It shows just how intertwined chemistry and history are, and just how important environmental regulations are, too. I definitely liked that Kean explained how the poisonous metals affect our bodies, which was intriguing and very much like a standard virus. There wasn't anything I didn't like.
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Summary- Kean starts the chapter by describing a 1960 cover of Time magazine with its "Men of the Year." He comically describes the cover as "an attempt to look futuristic." It includes the faces of fifteen important scientists. Kean points out two of these scientists: Emilio Segrè and Linus Pauling. He explains that, though they couldn't be described as friends, they were co-operative. Kean also makes note of the interesting circumstances that caused Segrè and Pauling not to be faculty colleagues at Berkeley, due to a letter from Pauling to Berkeley being lost. Kean then reveals that the two men are united in infamy for making some of the most grave mistakes in science history despite being some of the greatest scientists.
Segrè worked with Carlo Perrier, a fellow Italian, to isolate element 43. They used scraps from the cyclotron, an inverted atom smasher, belonging to Ernest Lawrence and found traces of element 43. They came into conflict with German scientists who claimed ownership of what they called "masurium" and the University of Palerno, which wanted to have it be called "panorium." Seeing both of those names as undesirable, and so they chose to name it technetium. The name is derived from the Greek word for "artificial" because it was the first man-made metal. Segrè would later misidentfiy new elements as "rare earths," only to be disproven by Edwin McMillan.
Linus Pauling revolutionized chemistry by providing a better understanding of the functions of quantum mechanics including bond strength, bond length, bond angle, and "nearly everything." He figured out why snowflakes have a hexagonal structure, how sickle-cell anemia works and kills people, and how proteins "know" how to shape themselves. Later, he would theorize that DNA was in the form of a triple helix. Students at Cambridge, Watson and Crick, would soon disprove his theory, finding DNA to be in a double helix formation. So, Watson and Crick would become famous for their discovery, which used Pauling's mistake as a starting point and left him less famous than the duo.
Also, as for phosphorus, it can be obtained from urine and is used in the red tips of matches. I liked that Kean explained the origin of technetium's name and explained the history of DNA. I didn't like the absence of a disappearing spoon, but I did appreciate the way in which Kean divided up the chapter so that it flowed smoothly. I learned that scientific genius is known to make mistakes, and that those mistakes aren't always benign. I would tell my non-existent bae that brushing aside the theories of others can sometimes allow others to make discoveries that one could have made on their own.
Summary- Kean starts the chapter by describing a 1960 cover of Time magazine with its "Men of the Year." He comically describes the cover as "an attempt to look futuristic." It includes the faces of fifteen important scientists. Kean points out two of these scientists: Emilio Segrè and Linus Pauling. He explains that, though they couldn't be described as friends, they were co-operative. Kean also makes note of the interesting circumstances that caused Segrè and Pauling not to be faculty colleagues at Berkeley, due to a letter from Pauling to Berkeley being lost. Kean then reveals that the two men are united in infamy for making some of the most grave mistakes in science history despite being some of the greatest scientists.
Segrè worked with Carlo Perrier, a fellow Italian, to isolate element 43. They used scraps from the cyclotron, an inverted atom smasher, belonging to Ernest Lawrence and found traces of element 43. They came into conflict with German scientists who claimed ownership of what they called "masurium" and the University of Palerno, which wanted to have it be called "panorium." Seeing both of those names as undesirable, and so they chose to name it technetium. The name is derived from the Greek word for "artificial" because it was the first man-made metal. Segrè would later misidentfiy new elements as "rare earths," only to be disproven by Edwin McMillan.
Linus Pauling revolutionized chemistry by providing a better understanding of the functions of quantum mechanics including bond strength, bond length, bond angle, and "nearly everything." He figured out why snowflakes have a hexagonal structure, how sickle-cell anemia works and kills people, and how proteins "know" how to shape themselves. Later, he would theorize that DNA was in the form of a triple helix. Students at Cambridge, Watson and Crick, would soon disprove his theory, finding DNA to be in a double helix formation. So, Watson and Crick would become famous for their discovery, which used Pauling's mistake as a starting point and left him less famous than the duo.
Also, as for phosphorus, it can be obtained from urine and is used in the red tips of matches. I liked that Kean explained the origin of technetium's name and explained the history of DNA. I didn't like the absence of a disappearing spoon, but I did appreciate the way in which Kean divided up the chapter so that it flowed smoothly. I learned that scientific genius is known to make mistakes, and that those mistakes aren't always benign. I would tell my non-existent bae that brushing aside the theories of others can sometimes allow others to make discoveries that one could have made on their own.
Sunday, July 23, 2017
Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Summary- Kean uses an excerpt from "The Talk of the Town" section of the New Yorker to begin the chapter. It talks about the recent spike in new elements being created and suggests that the team responsible for finding many of them at UC Berkeley name them: universitium, offium, californium, and berkelium. But the excerpt mainly focuses on the creation and naming of elements 97 and 98, californium and berkelium. Kean introduces Glenn Seaborg, an important figure whose first notable achievement was the result of "dumb luck." Seaborg's friend Edwin McMillan created neptunium and sought to move forward onto finding element 94. Due to World War II, McMillan was sent to work on a military project, leaving behind Seaborg and his equipment.
Because Seaborg had access to his equipment and knew the approach McMillan planned on taking, Seaborg and a colleague managed to isolate element 94 and named it plutonium. Seaborg and a technician named Al Ghiorso, along with many students, would work with the US government at a branch of the Manhattan Project in Chicago. After the war, Seaborg and Ghiorso would create element 96 and then 95. They would name element 96, curium, and element 95, americium. In 1949, the Berkeley team discovered berkelium and californium. Within radioactive coral after a Pacific bomb test in 1952, the found elements 99 and 100: einsteinium and fermium.
One night in 1955, having to quickly drive a sample from one lab to another, the Berkeley team discovered element 101. They named it mendelevium, a bold move, honoring Mendeleev, a Russian scientist, in the midst of the Cold War. The Berkeley team would find elements 102 and 103 in the early 1960's and name them nobelium and lawrencium. Stalin's rise to power in the Soviet Union dampened scientific advances in all sciences that were not deemed necessary and he was responsible for the deaths of many scientists. Despite this, a Soviet team of scientists would come into conflict with the Berkeley team over the names of new elements. The Soviet team beat them to elements 104 and 105, and both teams raced to 106. A West German team enetered the chaos, forcing the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry to quell the flames. After a reluctant compromise, elements 104 through 109 were dubbed: rutherfordium, dubnium, seaborgium, borhium, hassium, and meitnerium.
Again, I liked how portrays the scientists in a very human manner and helps the reader understand their motivation for doing what they did. Another thing I liked was the constant providing of historical context, especially in terms of the Cold War. I also liked that Kean mentioned the massacres of scientist in the Soviet Union under Stalin's rule. This chapter didn't have anything I disliked that I haven't mentioned in a past post.
I learned that new elements are difficult to create, taking a large group of people long periods of time just to isolate a few atoms of a new element. I also learned that the Soviet Union not only came into conflict with the United States in terms of the Space Race and the development of better weapons, but also in creating and naming new elements. If I had a bae, I would tell them that science is really just a competition among people to receive credit for something or to get something named after them. Science has frequently been obsessed with glory as opposed to practical discoveries.
Summary- Kean uses an excerpt from "The Talk of the Town" section of the New Yorker to begin the chapter. It talks about the recent spike in new elements being created and suggests that the team responsible for finding many of them at UC Berkeley name them: universitium, offium, californium, and berkelium. But the excerpt mainly focuses on the creation and naming of elements 97 and 98, californium and berkelium. Kean introduces Glenn Seaborg, an important figure whose first notable achievement was the result of "dumb luck." Seaborg's friend Edwin McMillan created neptunium and sought to move forward onto finding element 94. Due to World War II, McMillan was sent to work on a military project, leaving behind Seaborg and his equipment.
Because Seaborg had access to his equipment and knew the approach McMillan planned on taking, Seaborg and a colleague managed to isolate element 94 and named it plutonium. Seaborg and a technician named Al Ghiorso, along with many students, would work with the US government at a branch of the Manhattan Project in Chicago. After the war, Seaborg and Ghiorso would create element 96 and then 95. They would name element 96, curium, and element 95, americium. In 1949, the Berkeley team discovered berkelium and californium. Within radioactive coral after a Pacific bomb test in 1952, the found elements 99 and 100: einsteinium and fermium.
One night in 1955, having to quickly drive a sample from one lab to another, the Berkeley team discovered element 101. They named it mendelevium, a bold move, honoring Mendeleev, a Russian scientist, in the midst of the Cold War. The Berkeley team would find elements 102 and 103 in the early 1960's and name them nobelium and lawrencium. Stalin's rise to power in the Soviet Union dampened scientific advances in all sciences that were not deemed necessary and he was responsible for the deaths of many scientists. Despite this, a Soviet team of scientists would come into conflict with the Berkeley team over the names of new elements. The Soviet team beat them to elements 104 and 105, and both teams raced to 106. A West German team enetered the chaos, forcing the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry to quell the flames. After a reluctant compromise, elements 104 through 109 were dubbed: rutherfordium, dubnium, seaborgium, borhium, hassium, and meitnerium.
Again, I liked how portrays the scientists in a very human manner and helps the reader understand their motivation for doing what they did. Another thing I liked was the constant providing of historical context, especially in terms of the Cold War. I also liked that Kean mentioned the massacres of scientist in the Soviet Union under Stalin's rule. This chapter didn't have anything I disliked that I haven't mentioned in a past post.
I learned that new elements are difficult to create, taking a large group of people long periods of time just to isolate a few atoms of a new element. I also learned that the Soviet Union not only came into conflict with the United States in terms of the Space Race and the development of better weapons, but also in creating and naming new elements. If I had a bae, I would tell them that science is really just a competition among people to receive credit for something or to get something named after them. Science has frequently been obsessed with glory as opposed to practical discoveries.
Chapter 6
Chapter 6
Summary- Chapter 6 begins with Kean explaining that, even after Mendeleev, there existed many holes in the periodic table. This was due to the fact that many elements that had existed in the newly formed Earth has since vanished due to them simply being unable to survive in nature. These elements would have to be produced artificially at some point to truly obtain a significant amount of them. Kean starts with a story, the story of Henry Moseley. Moseley was a promising student at the University of Manchester in England. He developed an electron gun that would give meaning to the atomic numbers on the periodic table and prove the existence of the atomic nucleus. Moseley would later enlist in the army during World War I and subsequently die in battle. The completion of the periodic table would come about with the discovery of element sixty-one: promethium. Researchers at the Oak Ridge Laboratory had found it by sifting through uranium ore.
In 1932, James Chadwick discovered the neutron, a subatomic particle that adds to an atom's weight without affecting its charge. This helped define alpha and beta decay, which had previously confused scientists. The finding was later key to the development of nuclear bombs. The Manhattan project employed scientists in the creation of bombs using plutonium and uranium. They employed hundreds of women to do calculations by hand in order to find just how much uranium and plutonium they needed. A need for a quicker way to do these calculations resulted in the Monte Carlo method and the creation of computers. The early computer industry was driven to build faster and more efficient computers because of this. Such advanced during the Cold War era left the Soviet Union and the United States in a state of MAD, or mutually assured destruction.
I like how history itself is closely tied to chemistry, and Kean uses this to his advantage to make the story of chemical advances closer to a long narrative. He employs both story and fact to weave a much more interesting reading. I also like how Kean opens up the chapters with an interesting question to ask yourself, or an interesting fact that is vital to the chapter. I do not like that there will probably be no mention of a disappearing spoon throughout this book.
I learned that atomic number have less to do with atomic weight and more to do with each element's charge. Neutrons, whose funtion I also learned in this chapter, are the cause of this discrepancy. I also learned that chemistry is among the most profitable sciences in times of war because chemical warfare has proven more useful and deadly than many other forms of warfare. I would tell my bae that cobalt bombs are phenomenally powerful, but damage the land they are used on for a very long period of time.
Summary- Chapter 6 begins with Kean explaining that, even after Mendeleev, there existed many holes in the periodic table. This was due to the fact that many elements that had existed in the newly formed Earth has since vanished due to them simply being unable to survive in nature. These elements would have to be produced artificially at some point to truly obtain a significant amount of them. Kean starts with a story, the story of Henry Moseley. Moseley was a promising student at the University of Manchester in England. He developed an electron gun that would give meaning to the atomic numbers on the periodic table and prove the existence of the atomic nucleus. Moseley would later enlist in the army during World War I and subsequently die in battle. The completion of the periodic table would come about with the discovery of element sixty-one: promethium. Researchers at the Oak Ridge Laboratory had found it by sifting through uranium ore.
In 1932, James Chadwick discovered the neutron, a subatomic particle that adds to an atom's weight without affecting its charge. This helped define alpha and beta decay, which had previously confused scientists. The finding was later key to the development of nuclear bombs. The Manhattan project employed scientists in the creation of bombs using plutonium and uranium. They employed hundreds of women to do calculations by hand in order to find just how much uranium and plutonium they needed. A need for a quicker way to do these calculations resulted in the Monte Carlo method and the creation of computers. The early computer industry was driven to build faster and more efficient computers because of this. Such advanced during the Cold War era left the Soviet Union and the United States in a state of MAD, or mutually assured destruction.
I like how history itself is closely tied to chemistry, and Kean uses this to his advantage to make the story of chemical advances closer to a long narrative. He employs both story and fact to weave a much more interesting reading. I also like how Kean opens up the chapters with an interesting question to ask yourself, or an interesting fact that is vital to the chapter. I do not like that there will probably be no mention of a disappearing spoon throughout this book.
I learned that atomic number have less to do with atomic weight and more to do with each element's charge. Neutrons, whose funtion I also learned in this chapter, are the cause of this discrepancy. I also learned that chemistry is among the most profitable sciences in times of war because chemical warfare has proven more useful and deadly than many other forms of warfare. I would tell my bae that cobalt bombs are phenomenally powerful, but damage the land they are used on for a very long period of time.
Saturday, July 22, 2017
Chapter 5
Chapter 5
Summary- Kean starts the chapter with a brief history of chemical warfare in Greece. Spartans had tried to lay siege to Athens with smoke, but failed and were later defeated. In 1899, all scientifically advanced nations, except for the United States, signed the Hauge Convention. This banned the use of chemical weapons of war. Despite the United States' seemingly cynical behavior regarding the covenant, every nation that signed would break their word, most notably in World War I.
Kean tells the story of Fritz Haber, who sought to cheaply create ammonia (NH3) to be used by Germany in the creation of nitrogen explosives. Kean laments the "sad truth" that, historically, many geniuses pour their intellectual ability into creating weapons of destruction instead of developing ways to improve the world for its betterment. He would stop using bromine after a failed attempt in Russia, when all of the German explosives were frozen over and made useless. He opted for chlorine because it was far more dangerous and worse for their enemies.
After the close of the war, and Germany's defeat, he won a Nobel Prize in chemistry. He was later exiled when the Nazis came to power in Germany for being Jewish. In an ironic twist of fate, a pesticide he developed would be tinkered with and then used to gas millions of Jews, some of whom were Haber's own relatives. The elements tungsten and niobium, named after Greek figures who represent greed and jealousy, would be at the center of several Congolese conflicts.
I liked that Kean continues to mesmerize the reader with some masterfully executed storytelling, keeping the chapter interesting through and through. Another thing I liked, or rather something I had not noticed before, was the display of elements above each chapter as a sort of foreshadowing that told the reader what elements to expect to see in the chapter. I also liked Kean's blunt tone regarding the wars and conflicts and his acceptance of the "sad truth" about promising scientists.
I learned that a lot of smart people in history to bad things. I also learned that third-world countries with rare or valuable elements are frequently exploited by more advanced countries with more access to monetary redources. If I had a bae to tell something to, I would tell them that chemical warfare dates back very far, into classical times, and that we, as people, must be better and use our knowledge for the betterment of mankind as a whole.
Summary- Kean starts the chapter with a brief history of chemical warfare in Greece. Spartans had tried to lay siege to Athens with smoke, but failed and were later defeated. In 1899, all scientifically advanced nations, except for the United States, signed the Hauge Convention. This banned the use of chemical weapons of war. Despite the United States' seemingly cynical behavior regarding the covenant, every nation that signed would break their word, most notably in World War I.
Kean tells the story of Fritz Haber, who sought to cheaply create ammonia (NH3) to be used by Germany in the creation of nitrogen explosives. Kean laments the "sad truth" that, historically, many geniuses pour their intellectual ability into creating weapons of destruction instead of developing ways to improve the world for its betterment. He would stop using bromine after a failed attempt in Russia, when all of the German explosives were frozen over and made useless. He opted for chlorine because it was far more dangerous and worse for their enemies.
After the close of the war, and Germany's defeat, he won a Nobel Prize in chemistry. He was later exiled when the Nazis came to power in Germany for being Jewish. In an ironic twist of fate, a pesticide he developed would be tinkered with and then used to gas millions of Jews, some of whom were Haber's own relatives. The elements tungsten and niobium, named after Greek figures who represent greed and jealousy, would be at the center of several Congolese conflicts.
I liked that Kean continues to mesmerize the reader with some masterfully executed storytelling, keeping the chapter interesting through and through. Another thing I liked, or rather something I had not noticed before, was the display of elements above each chapter as a sort of foreshadowing that told the reader what elements to expect to see in the chapter. I also liked Kean's blunt tone regarding the wars and conflicts and his acceptance of the "sad truth" about promising scientists.
I learned that a lot of smart people in history to bad things. I also learned that third-world countries with rare or valuable elements are frequently exploited by more advanced countries with more access to monetary redources. If I had a bae to tell something to, I would tell them that chemical warfare dates back very far, into classical times, and that we, as people, must be better and use our knowledge for the betterment of mankind as a whole.
Friday, July 21, 2017
Chapter 4
Chapter 4
Summary- Kean initiates the chapter by posing a question on where the elements come from. He references the big bang theory of the 1930's, which stated that every element was released by said event. This was disproven by the fact that the theory implies that the elements would have been evenly distributed everywhere, but hydrogen and helium are concentrated primarily in stars because they burn by fusing hydrogen into helium. The fusion of hydrogen and helium would create elements further along the periodic table. However, iron is the final element formed. This occurs because fusing anything beyond iron costs the star energy, which will eventually bring an end to the star's life. Supernovae cause the burst in energy that can cause iron to fuse into other elements beyond number twenty-six.
Kean later talks about Jupiter and its peculiar chemical makeup. He refers to it as a "'tweener", or a failed star. He states that Jupiter could have been a brown dwarf star. He moves onto the terrestrial, specifically touching upon the age of Earth. Clair Patterson makes the best estimation of the planet's age, estimating that it is about 4.55 billion years old through the use of lead and uranium from meteors. Kean also explains the origin of the atomic symbol for lead, Pb, because lead has often been used for water pipes, so Pb is derived from the Latin word for plumber. He presents a theory of a binary solar system, calling the second "sun" Nemesis. It could serve to explain the suspicious time frame between mass extinction events, but it seems less and less likely with every year providing no evidence to support its existence.
I liked that Kean again let the chapter flow from story to story very smoothly. He also keeps the stories constantly interesting with facts, such as the cult suicide because of the Hale-Bopp comet. I also like that he provides a very realistic opinion on whether or not the Nemesis theory is plausible. I did not like the lack of spoons, specifically a disappearing one. Maybe that's why there isn't a spoon, it has already disappeared from the reading.
I learned that anything beyond iron is not formed in living stars, but rather in stars that die, implode and then explode. I also learned that it is highly likely that everything inside of human beings is quite literally made from the cores of stars. If I had a bae to tell something to, I'd tell them that even though some theories seem great, without any tangible evidence, that's all they'll ever be: theories.
Summary- Kean initiates the chapter by posing a question on where the elements come from. He references the big bang theory of the 1930's, which stated that every element was released by said event. This was disproven by the fact that the theory implies that the elements would have been evenly distributed everywhere, but hydrogen and helium are concentrated primarily in stars because they burn by fusing hydrogen into helium. The fusion of hydrogen and helium would create elements further along the periodic table. However, iron is the final element formed. This occurs because fusing anything beyond iron costs the star energy, which will eventually bring an end to the star's life. Supernovae cause the burst in energy that can cause iron to fuse into other elements beyond number twenty-six.
Kean later talks about Jupiter and its peculiar chemical makeup. He refers to it as a "'tweener", or a failed star. He states that Jupiter could have been a brown dwarf star. He moves onto the terrestrial, specifically touching upon the age of Earth. Clair Patterson makes the best estimation of the planet's age, estimating that it is about 4.55 billion years old through the use of lead and uranium from meteors. Kean also explains the origin of the atomic symbol for lead, Pb, because lead has often been used for water pipes, so Pb is derived from the Latin word for plumber. He presents a theory of a binary solar system, calling the second "sun" Nemesis. It could serve to explain the suspicious time frame between mass extinction events, but it seems less and less likely with every year providing no evidence to support its existence.
I liked that Kean again let the chapter flow from story to story very smoothly. He also keeps the stories constantly interesting with facts, such as the cult suicide because of the Hale-Bopp comet. I also like that he provides a very realistic opinion on whether or not the Nemesis theory is plausible. I did not like the lack of spoons, specifically a disappearing one. Maybe that's why there isn't a spoon, it has already disappeared from the reading.
I learned that anything beyond iron is not formed in living stars, but rather in stars that die, implode and then explode. I also learned that it is highly likely that everything inside of human beings is quite literally made from the cores of stars. If I had a bae to tell something to, I'd tell them that even though some theories seem great, without any tangible evidence, that's all they'll ever be: theories.
Thursday, July 20, 2017
Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Summary- "The Galápagos of the Periodic Table" explains the origin and creation of the periodic table in a series of anecdotes about various scientists who contributed to it. Kean first tells of Robert Bunsen, immortalized by the Bunsen burner, and his love for explosions, which he focused his work on after being half-blinded by arsenic. He develops the spectroscope, which uses light to help identify elements when they are heated to high temperatures. That went hand in hand with his creation a valve that adjusts the oxygen flow on a primitive gas burner to make it more efficient.
Kean then moves on to talking about Dmitri Mendeleev, one of six men who individually created their own periodic tables. He ends up sharing a Davy Medal with another man named Julius Lothar Meyer for discovering what was called "periodic law". Mendeleev uses his table to begin predicting future elements and their traits, which turns out to be fairly accurate. However, he did not come up with names for the undiscovered elements and simply added the prefix eka- to preexisting elements. This would lead to a later dispute with Paul Emile François Lecoq de Boisbaudran, who discovered eka-aluminum and named it Gallium.
The author also talks about the Lanthanides, a group of elements that are "quarantined" to the bottom of the periodic table. Most of these elements were found in the Swedish city of Ytterby. This has led to many of them being named after the city. Because of metal atoms' tendency to stay close together even when they move, a large amount of Lanthanides present beneath Ytterby. It's proximity to a fault line helped expose the Lanhanides for mining. Seven different elements were discovered there, six of which were Medeleev's missing Lanthanides.
Reflection- I liked that this chapter was mostly told as a series of anecdotes that provided a good backstory to many of the advancements shown. The author makes a point to give credit where it is due and explain why certain people deserve or don't deserve complete credit for something. I didnot like that, again, there was no spoon, much less one that disappeared. I also did not like that the exact origin of the word "Lanthanide" wasn't explained, it would be nice to know that to gain more insight on the subject.
I learned that different people frequently come up with the same or similar ideas. I also learned that even an incomplete periodic table can give hints as to the properties of surrounding elements. Not only that, but also that chemistry is key to the economy of various societies, specifically in the manufacturing of various materials. If I had a bae to tell something to, I would tell them that many scientists like Mendeleev are praised for correct predictions, while incorrect predictions such as that of the existence of an element in the sun called Coronium, are overlooked almost entirely.
Summary- "The Galápagos of the Periodic Table" explains the origin and creation of the periodic table in a series of anecdotes about various scientists who contributed to it. Kean first tells of Robert Bunsen, immortalized by the Bunsen burner, and his love for explosions, which he focused his work on after being half-blinded by arsenic. He develops the spectroscope, which uses light to help identify elements when they are heated to high temperatures. That went hand in hand with his creation a valve that adjusts the oxygen flow on a primitive gas burner to make it more efficient.
Kean then moves on to talking about Dmitri Mendeleev, one of six men who individually created their own periodic tables. He ends up sharing a Davy Medal with another man named Julius Lothar Meyer for discovering what was called "periodic law". Mendeleev uses his table to begin predicting future elements and their traits, which turns out to be fairly accurate. However, he did not come up with names for the undiscovered elements and simply added the prefix eka- to preexisting elements. This would lead to a later dispute with Paul Emile François Lecoq de Boisbaudran, who discovered eka-aluminum and named it Gallium.
The author also talks about the Lanthanides, a group of elements that are "quarantined" to the bottom of the periodic table. Most of these elements were found in the Swedish city of Ytterby. This has led to many of them being named after the city. Because of metal atoms' tendency to stay close together even when they move, a large amount of Lanthanides present beneath Ytterby. It's proximity to a fault line helped expose the Lanhanides for mining. Seven different elements were discovered there, six of which were Medeleev's missing Lanthanides.
Reflection- I liked that this chapter was mostly told as a series of anecdotes that provided a good backstory to many of the advancements shown. The author makes a point to give credit where it is due and explain why certain people deserve or don't deserve complete credit for something. I didnot like that, again, there was no spoon, much less one that disappeared. I also did not like that the exact origin of the word "Lanthanide" wasn't explained, it would be nice to know that to gain more insight on the subject.
I learned that different people frequently come up with the same or similar ideas. I also learned that even an incomplete periodic table can give hints as to the properties of surrounding elements. Not only that, but also that chemistry is key to the economy of various societies, specifically in the manufacturing of various materials. If I had a bae to tell something to, I would tell them that many scientists like Mendeleev are praised for correct predictions, while incorrect predictions such as that of the existence of an element in the sun called Coronium, are overlooked almost entirely.
Wednesday, July 19, 2017
Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Summary- To open the chapter, Kean marvels at gargantuan words (especially those made by stacking prefixes and suffixes together) and connects this idea to amino acid chains. Amino acidss form a protein when connected to each other, built up by carbon. Amino acids can bond with each other because of the octet rule. Like all elements, Carbon atoms want to fill their outer shell with eight electrons. As the sixth element, Carbon has two electrons in its inner shell and four in its outer shell. This allows it to share its electrons with up to four molecules to create more complex chains. Nitrogen has the same characteristic, though to a lesser degree because it has five electrons in its outer shell.
Kean goes on to introduce the reader to another colossal word, also called p45, for an incurable lung disease acquired through the inhalation of volcanic silica. He then explores claims that silicon-based life could be possible on another life-bearing planet. He points out that silicon oxide would be unable to replace carbon dioxide because silicon oxide is a solid, only becoming a gas at four thousand degrees Fahrenheit. Furthermore, silica does not dissolve in water, cannot contort itself into molecular rings, and is unable to form double bonds. All of these traits, Kean concludes, make silicon-based life largely unlikely. Still, Silicon has found an incredible niche in the modern world.
The author introduces the story of William Shockley, a physicist and electrical engineer who attempted to solve the problem of vacuum tubes because of their nature of being high-maintenance. He envisioned a silicon amplifier, but never got anywhere with it. He eventually gave up and tasked two of his assistants, John Bardeen and Walter Brattain with its creation. They ended up using Germanium instead of Silicon to build what they called a transistor. Shockley rushed to take partial credit for the creation, and even won a Nobel Prize with Bardeen and Brattain for it. However, Germanium was soon scrapped for Silicon transistors.
I liked that the author continued to masterfully utilize analogies for the benefit of the reader. That helped clarify various parts of the chapter and make them a bit more interesting. I also liked the author's blunt tone when he mentioned Shockley, it was rather fitting for a man that did nothing to deserve a Nobel Prize. I did not like, again, there was no mention of a disappearing spoon.
I learned that Carbon is among the more promiscuous elements, specifically why it is. On top of that, it helped me to further understand the true significance of placement on the periodic table, because Carbon and the every eighth element after it has the same ability to make up to four bonds which makes them incredibly versatile. If I had a bae to tell something about this chapter, it would be that I'm not cheating, I'm just a Carbon molecule that likes to share his electrons. I would also tell them that columns on the periodic table are just as important as rows, if not more so.
Summary- To open the chapter, Kean marvels at gargantuan words (especially those made by stacking prefixes and suffixes together) and connects this idea to amino acid chains. Amino acidss form a protein when connected to each other, built up by carbon. Amino acids can bond with each other because of the octet rule. Like all elements, Carbon atoms want to fill their outer shell with eight electrons. As the sixth element, Carbon has two electrons in its inner shell and four in its outer shell. This allows it to share its electrons with up to four molecules to create more complex chains. Nitrogen has the same characteristic, though to a lesser degree because it has five electrons in its outer shell.
Kean goes on to introduce the reader to another colossal word, also called p45, for an incurable lung disease acquired through the inhalation of volcanic silica. He then explores claims that silicon-based life could be possible on another life-bearing planet. He points out that silicon oxide would be unable to replace carbon dioxide because silicon oxide is a solid, only becoming a gas at four thousand degrees Fahrenheit. Furthermore, silica does not dissolve in water, cannot contort itself into molecular rings, and is unable to form double bonds. All of these traits, Kean concludes, make silicon-based life largely unlikely. Still, Silicon has found an incredible niche in the modern world.
The author introduces the story of William Shockley, a physicist and electrical engineer who attempted to solve the problem of vacuum tubes because of their nature of being high-maintenance. He envisioned a silicon amplifier, but never got anywhere with it. He eventually gave up and tasked two of his assistants, John Bardeen and Walter Brattain with its creation. They ended up using Germanium instead of Silicon to build what they called a transistor. Shockley rushed to take partial credit for the creation, and even won a Nobel Prize with Bardeen and Brattain for it. However, Germanium was soon scrapped for Silicon transistors.
I liked that the author continued to masterfully utilize analogies for the benefit of the reader. That helped clarify various parts of the chapter and make them a bit more interesting. I also liked the author's blunt tone when he mentioned Shockley, it was rather fitting for a man that did nothing to deserve a Nobel Prize. I did not like, again, there was no mention of a disappearing spoon.
I learned that Carbon is among the more promiscuous elements, specifically why it is. On top of that, it helped me to further understand the true significance of placement on the periodic table, because Carbon and the every eighth element after it has the same ability to make up to four bonds which makes them incredibly versatile. If I had a bae to tell something about this chapter, it would be that I'm not cheating, I'm just a Carbon molecule that likes to share his electrons. I would also tell them that columns on the periodic table are just as important as rows, if not more so.
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
Summary- In the first chapter of this book, the author opens up with the periodic table. They compare the table as a whole to an asymmetric castle. They compare each individual element to a brick that cannot be interchanged with another brick without causing the entire structure to collapse. They explain that different sections of the castle are made up of varying elements with diverse properties. The majority of the table is made up of by metals, the right hand columns are made up of gases, and the area in between is reserved for more amorphous elements that do not quite fit into either category. They state that all scientifically relevant data about an element can be drawn from its placement on the table.
The author ventures further into the periodic table, introducing the noble gases. Among these, is Helium. Helium is singled out as a model element for its metaphorical purity. They introduce and explain the concept of electrons, subatomic particles that determine an element's reactivity. Because Helium only has one electron shell, a full one, it has no need to give nor recieve electrons. This is the reason it does not react to other elements under normal circumstances. The author identifies the rest of the eighteenth column as having the same trait.
Gilbert Lewis, a frequent Nobel Prize nominee, is mentioned as helping to broaden learning about the characteristics of acids and bases in order to better understand chemical reactions. Acids, solutions with a pH level below 7, were seen largely as proton donors before Lewis redefined them as electron thieves. The pH scale functions on a scale of tens. Each jump from one value to another results in a change by a factor of ten. Similar to the Richter scale, which measures the magnitudes of earthquakes. An acid with a pH of 3 would be one thousand times more potent than an acid with a pH of 6.
Reflection- I liked that the chapter explained many things that are usually taken as facts, without questioning, and helped me to better understand how and why they are the way they are. It used reasoning and history to give background to many aspects of chemistry. I liked that it was candid and utilized metaphors and storytelling to its benefit. I did not like that the chapter was an absolute behemoth, or at least it felt like so. I also did not enjoy the fact that there was no mention of a disappearing spoon anywhere.
I learned that noble gases have full electron shells and do not feel the need to give or take from others because they are perfect just the way they are. I also learned that women had historically been brushed aside in the chemistry field despite Marie Curie being an inspirational chemist on her own. What about Uranium? I also learned that only two elements are liquids at room temperature. But what exactly is room temperature? Apparently, it's about 70 degrees Fahrenheit. If I had a bae to tell something to, I'd tell them to not expect an actual disappearing spoon and that positioning on the periodic table is crucial to understanding the characteristics of the elements presented in it.
Summary- In the first chapter of this book, the author opens up with the periodic table. They compare the table as a whole to an asymmetric castle. They compare each individual element to a brick that cannot be interchanged with another brick without causing the entire structure to collapse. They explain that different sections of the castle are made up of varying elements with diverse properties. The majority of the table is made up of by metals, the right hand columns are made up of gases, and the area in between is reserved for more amorphous elements that do not quite fit into either category. They state that all scientifically relevant data about an element can be drawn from its placement on the table.
The author ventures further into the periodic table, introducing the noble gases. Among these, is Helium. Helium is singled out as a model element for its metaphorical purity. They introduce and explain the concept of electrons, subatomic particles that determine an element's reactivity. Because Helium only has one electron shell, a full one, it has no need to give nor recieve electrons. This is the reason it does not react to other elements under normal circumstances. The author identifies the rest of the eighteenth column as having the same trait.
Gilbert Lewis, a frequent Nobel Prize nominee, is mentioned as helping to broaden learning about the characteristics of acids and bases in order to better understand chemical reactions. Acids, solutions with a pH level below 7, were seen largely as proton donors before Lewis redefined them as electron thieves. The pH scale functions on a scale of tens. Each jump from one value to another results in a change by a factor of ten. Similar to the Richter scale, which measures the magnitudes of earthquakes. An acid with a pH of 3 would be one thousand times more potent than an acid with a pH of 6.
Reflection- I liked that the chapter explained many things that are usually taken as facts, without questioning, and helped me to better understand how and why they are the way they are. It used reasoning and history to give background to many aspects of chemistry. I liked that it was candid and utilized metaphors and storytelling to its benefit. I did not like that the chapter was an absolute behemoth, or at least it felt like so. I also did not enjoy the fact that there was no mention of a disappearing spoon anywhere.
I learned that noble gases have full electron shells and do not feel the need to give or take from others because they are perfect just the way they are. I also learned that women had historically been brushed aside in the chemistry field despite Marie Curie being an inspirational chemist on her own. What about Uranium? I also learned that only two elements are liquids at room temperature. But what exactly is room temperature? Apparently, it's about 70 degrees Fahrenheit. If I had a bae to tell something to, I'd tell them to not expect an actual disappearing spoon and that positioning on the periodic table is crucial to understanding the characteristics of the elements presented in it.
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