The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean Chapter 18 Summary/Reflection

Summary

In this Chapter, the NIST and BIPM, two bureaus that focus on being as precise with all measurements as possible. One of the most important of all measurement tools, the kilogram. The International Prototype kilogram was a cylinder that weighed exactly one kilogram and scientists went to absolutely ridiculous measures to keep it this way. However, when it started to shrink mysteriously, they gave up this method. Im going to kill my self

The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean Chapter 19 Summary/Reflection

Summary

  In the last chapter, it introduces the rarest element known on Earth, astatine. The next rarest element in francium, which can be explained through a long set of decayed elements and probabilities. After scientists were playing with heavy elements and stability, they came up with the idea of the “island of stability.” However, this theory basically rests on francium and now to stabilize the nuclei of elements. Based on this theory, scientists have been able to fill in the last rows of the periodic table with hypothesized elements all dealing with Latin and other names that scientist considered normal to them.

     Then the question to many scientists was the limits of the periodic table. The chapter then moves into how the periodic table is set up including future changes that might happen with the discovery of other matter and quantum dots. Over the years there have been hundreds of ways of organizing the periodic table but all go back to one, the original used by Bohr. Lastly, the author mentioned how we might one day make a new, re-designed, and impressive periodic table in the future that would even surprise Aliens. 

The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean Chapter 17 Summary/Reflection

Summary

In this Chapter, Donald Glaser, who came to the idea of using bubbles from beer to find to conjure up exotic and fragile species of particles. Watching his beer glass, Glaser was able to take part in the creation of the Cloud chamber. 
     The chapter also moves onto smaller stories of Roman’s love of calcium. Then introducing Rutherford as basically that of an ogre but based on his radioactive experiments he became famous.Rutherford and Soddy were able to prove that elements could mutate into other elements. He then used this knowledge and discovered helium particles being produced from this decay as bubbles. This theory went on to be used as a device to help find the age of the earth by measuring the amount if helium trapped in rocks.

The Disappearing Spoon Chapter 16 Summary/Reflection

1. Tin alpha and beta shapes are significantly different, but do constitute as different forms of matter.
2. It is only under extremely low temperatures when it begins to defy certain rules that it can combine with other elements (what a rebel).
3. Maser = Microwave Amplification By Stimulated Emission of Radiation.  Laser = light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation.
4. Neodymium can help make the world's strongest magnets
5. Atoms, at low temperatures, occupy the lowest quantum state.

Summary

Back when nobody had been able to reach the south pole, Robert Falcon Scott and his team attempted to be the first to reach the south pole.  However, they arrived about a month late and found they were beat by a Norwegian.  While returning, they died due to tins properties in very low temperatures.  Their tin containers had broken down in the cold temperatures and spoiled their food, water, and fuel.  

Like tin, when most atoms or particles achieve extremely low temperatures, they begin to exhibit traits that they shouldn't.  For example, Argon, a noble gas, should not be able to combine with anything.  But when cooled to extremely low temperatures, it begins to combine with certain elements.  One new method of lowering the temperature of atoms to the extreme was laser cooling.  By bumping photons onto particles at the right angles, the particle begins to cool to very low temperatures.  This eventually led to the discovery of Bose Einstein Condensate, a new state of matter.

Reflection

I really enjoyed this chapter because it's a way of telling you that everything you had learned till now was wrong, but also right. The Bose Einstein Condensate part I found extremely interesting, I actually learned this in Academic Decathlon, I am normally used to only hearing about solids, liquids, gases, and occasionally plasmas.

The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean Chapter 15 Summary/Reflection

1. He is the first scientist mentioned in the book, didn't teach at a University or College
2. Reports ovary, no clear evidence has arisen of its existence today.  Differences are that the Megalodon actually existed at some point in history.
3. Focuses on one aspect of a single appearance of a trait and tries to prove it.
4. Cold fusion is the fusion of elements at room temperature. Similar to perpetual motion machines in that it is able to create energy which is against the laws of physics.
5. Rontgen discovered X-rays.  He tried to prove himself wrong before releasing his results, pretty smart.

Summary

Pathological science has been influenced by betraying elements.  When the megalodon teeth were discovered, they were able to test the age of the teeth by measuring the amount of manganese on it.  But, some teeth had way less manganese than they should have, leading to speculations that the megalodon existed not so long ago or is still alive. Later on this was disproved, but people still believed they existed because of this piece of evidence so I think it'll take some while for people to realize. The discovery of cold fusion would also be another example.  Two scientists had claimed to have found a way to induce fusion by combining heavy water with palladium.  

Reflection

This chapter was overall better and was more interesting than the previous chapters.  I enjoyed the stories about the megalodon, Kean is a really good storyteller, the massive ancient relative of the shark.  The whole situation with Pathological science reminded me of pseudosciencet.  I also really enjoyed the story about X-rays and how Roentgen believed he was going crazy when he first witnessed them.

The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean Chapter 13 Summary Reflextion

1. Steel, White Gold, Stellite
2. change in form.
3. FeS2
4. It hides itself in average light, but when put under UV light it glows revealing its the real thing.
5. The aluminum is supposed to signify greatness because it is expensive, but because it is almost dirt cheap now, it doesn't belong.
6. If gold and platinum were easier to get, their prices would increase. Aluminum.

Summary

Since the beginning of human civilization, elements have been used as currency. Today, we use paper money being made out of paper and coins made out of zinc, copper, and nickel, but back then people used metals like gold and silver as currency. However, metals, unlike other types of money are easy to counterfeit due to their similarities with cheaper metals.  The solution is alloys.  Alloys are combinations of elements designed to make them stronger or more resistant to corrosion.  When alloys are used as money, it is easier to counterfeit them since certain proportions can be changed but the alloys will appear the same.

Gold is a element people know as the source of wealth and value. Kean also mentions today's problem with counterfeit money and the efforts done by the European Union to find the fake money. The element europium is the hero in the mission to find counterfeit money along with fluorescence. Europium and fluorescing dye are combined to be used on the euros. By seeing the euro with the naked eye, the euro appears to be a certain color, but when put under a special laser, a charcoal sketch of Europe appears to show an authentic euro. However, after Charles Hall found a way to get pure aluminum easily, its prices plummeted.

Reflection

This chapter dealt more with the subject of wealth than the previous did about politics. Money makes the world go 'round.

The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean Chapter 14 Summary/Reflection

1. Johann Von Goethe was a German man who studied in every field that existed literally .  He was great in literature, but in science, whatever was more aesthetically pleasing he believed in, my spirit animal.
2. To establish a way of organizing the elements based on properties.  Iron, nickel, and cobalt, could be considered a triad due to nickels mass being a mean of Iron and Cobalt.
3. Predicted the effects of the discovery of radiation in the world
4. His brain lacked a certain salt that changed his behavior, i guess you can say it made him salty (pun intended)
5. Alloys

In chapter 14, Kean talks about how money and science come hand and hand. As science became more and more expensive, the people who could actually do the mind blowing discoveries were the people who had the money to do it (obviously that’s pretty messed up). The author then turns to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe who was a writer that enjoyed making bold claims or statements about science and politics even though he wasn't really an expert in either subjects. One major bold claim Goethe made was that of double replacement reactions. He used the analogy of marriage to describe it, the whole thing would work by having each person falling in love with another person in the other marriage. Although Goethe made absurd claims, he did help launch the career of another Johann, Johann Dobereiner.

                      Robert Lowell s then lastly mentioned. Lowell wasn't all there. He suffered through episodes of madness, his best work came from them. People did however enjoyed the work of Lowell. One time he was stuttering in front of a friend's house that he was the Virgin Mary. Another episode had him trying to stop cars by spreading his arms like Jesus. Nothing was available back then to help with this madness until lithium came along. Lithium became the first mood stabilizer which I honestly need some right now. Lithium prevents the next episode from happening and it regulates the proteins that makes this happen.

                      This chapter was very interesting to me because it focused on literary artists and their effect even in the smallest bits by the elements.  The stories about Mark Twain were cool too.