Monograph

The disappearing spoon

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Why did Gandhi hate iodine (I, 53)? How did radium (Ra, 88) nearly ruin Marie Curie's reputation? And why is gallium (Ga, 31) the go-to element for laboratory pranksters?*

The periodic table is a crowning scientific achievement, but it's also a treasure trove of passion, adventure, betrayal, and obsession. These fascinating tales follow all the elements on the table as they play out their parts in human history, finance, mythology, conflict, the arts, medicine, and the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them. The Disappearing Spoon masterfully fuses science with the classic lore of invention, investigation, discovery, and alchemy, from the big bang through the end of time.

*Though solid at room temperature, gallium is a moldable metal that melts at 84 degrees Fahrenheit. A classic science prank is to mold gallium spoons, serve them with tea, and watch guests recoil as their utensils disappear.

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Availability

JMS001402

546 KEA d

Jatayu Classroom

Available

Detail Information

Series Title

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Call Number

546 KEA d

Publisher

: Little, Brown and Company., 2011

Collation

-

Language

English

ISBN/ISSN

9780316051637

Classification

546

Content Type

-

Media Type

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Carrier Type

-

Edition

First Back Bay paperback edition

Subject(s)

Science

Specific Detail Info

... and Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements

Statement of Responsibility

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