The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean Summary/Reflection Chapter 2

In chapter 2, Kean firsts talks about the longest words in the English language, one being the tobacco mosaic virus, with 1,185 letters. The long word describes a protein from the most versatile element on the periodic table, carbon. Carbon forms the backbone of amino acids which are put together to make proteins. He then begins to explain how carbon is always trying to fill its outer energy level with eight electrons, the octet rule. Each amino acid contains oxygen and nitrogen on opposite ends and 2 carbon atoms in the middle. All these atoms are looking to complete its 8 electrons on its outer energy level, but for some its harder than others. For carbon it is much more easier since it can bounds atoms in whatever direction it can. But Kean later describes of an element that is similar to carbon or sometimes referred to as an alternative to carbon-based life in other galaxies which is the element silicon. Carbon is six on the periodic table while Silicon is fourteen which is an 8 element gap between them, or another octet, so naturally they'd be similar. However, it is much more challenging when building life forms with silicon rather than carbon because silicon is a solid. So when it comes down to cellular respiration it just wouldn't work. Another reason is that silicon does not dissolve in water so the creatures would not be able to be made up of any liquid or blood for that matter. However, silicon can be used as an outer shell for some creatures.


Kean later describes of an element under silicon on the periodic table, germanium. Like carbon and silicon, silicon and germanium have similarities. Most importantly they are both semi-conductors and are used for technology, specifically computers. This is where he introduces William Shockley, an electrical engineer who tried building a silicon vacuum tube but became frustrated when it failed to work. He passed the project down to John Bardeen and Walter Brattain whom invented the worlds first transistor out of germanium. However, Shockley tried to gain most of the credit and eventually did but along with Bardeen and Brattain. Shockley was the least deserving of the Nobel Prize. Unfortunately, germanium conductors began to decline when Gordon Teal introduced a silicon transistor. Finally, Kean tells the story of Jack Kilby. He was a tall Kansan who worked for Texas Instruments and was hired to solve a problem known as the tyranny of numbers. The problem was that cheap silicon transistors had to be soldered together in large amounts by many workers which was difficult and costly. Kilby came up with the idea of an integrated circuit by carving up all the components of the circuit from one block of the semiconductor. He later won the Nobel Prize in 2000. To conclude, Kean expresses the fact that some elements of the periodic table become unknown while other become widely famous such as silicon and carbon.


What I liked about this chapter was that I learned a lot about the elements if not I understood more fully and in depth. I also really like how the authors personality can be seen throughout the reading which makes it a little more interesting. If there was one thing that I'd tell to a friend is that one of the longest words in the English language is actually a protein along with other super long words that relate to science.