"The Disappearing Spoon and Other True Tales of Madness, Love and the History of the World From the Periodic Tables of the Elements" Summary
Significance: The excerpt, from this odd book, we have read has much scientific significance regarding chemistry and the periodic table. Most of the information I did not know and to me, anything I learn is significant. I must say I learned a lot from the short passage I read, but I will try to sum it up as best as I can. This wonderfully odd book describes things like the periodic table being a castle and jokes about scientists who discover universal solvents that cannot dissolve glass, but what was the most significant information to me was the little snippets of random chemistry facts describing some of the elements and element compounds and what they do and how you make them and so many more little details. To me, things like, "Bonding between ions explains why combinations of halogens and alkalis, such as sodium chloride (table salt), are common. Similarly, elements from columns with two extra electrons, such as oxygen, frequently align themselves.", make only a little bit of sense to me right now, but I know it's information that I am going to need to know in the future.
Evidence and Connection: As well as discussing many different chemistry concepts, this book also talks about many of the chemists who came up with them and made them relevant to what, back then, was modern day science. I think it's really interesting to hear the stories of these chemists and how they were made fun of and misunderstood by the "better" scientists of their day, but continued to peruse what they knew to be true, and their goal of telling the science community about it. Even though most of them were dead by the time we realized they were right, they succeeded, and that is a very cool and inspiring thing to think about. I think everyone can make a connection to these chemists, even if you are not into science, because they did something that changed the world in an unbelievable way, and I think everyone wants that.
Evidence and Connection: As well as discussing many different chemistry concepts, this book also talks about many of the chemists who came up with them and made them relevant to what, back then, was modern day science. I think it's really interesting to hear the stories of these chemists and how they were made fun of and misunderstood by the "better" scientists of their day, but continued to peruse what they knew to be true, and their goal of telling the science community about it. Even though most of them were dead by the time we realized they were right, they succeeded, and that is a very cool and inspiring thing to think about. I think everyone can make a connection to these chemists, even if you are not into science, because they did something that changed the world in an unbelievable way, and I think everyone wants that.