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.
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