Oxygen
It was thought that water was an element itself the 18th century. The one to disprove this in 1777 was Antonie Lavoisier who named one of the elements oxygen; meaning genorator of acid. His work put oxygen as the leader for combustion, instead of fire. In the 19th century oxygen gas was introduced to the public and popularized by oxygen therepy. At this point oxygen was used to"cure" a variety of illnesses and was said to produce feelings of comfortable heat. It relieved breathing difficulties for as long as the gas lasted.
Radium
Marie Curie discovered radium in 1898 with the help of her husband Pierre Curie, who dropped his own research to help her. Radium is 300 times more radioactive then uranium and more radioactive then polonium. Radium's main use was for the treatment of cancers because from the beginning it had been known to have the ability to damage skin. Though it was soon exploited for treatment of blood, bone and nerve ailments. Radium was popularized by cartoons and as a cure all. The name radium was added to almost everything; cigars, butter, toothpaste, condoms, beer, jelly and many more. After the 1960's the radium hype ended and is now only used in radiological clinics.
Sodium
With a 589 nanometer wavelength sodium light washes over everything turning the surroundings monochrome. This light that we are so used to actually decieves our eyes, so nothing is the color it seems. The sodium streetlights became common after WWII and immediately gained negative attention from writers. The poet John Betjeman even went so far to call it "yellow vomit thrown out by the new concrete gallows overhead". In every city on every continent the night is turned yellow by sodium lights. Sodium is the most abundant alkali metal on Earth making it a good option for light because its yellow light washes out every other color.
Sunday, March 29, 2015
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Sulphur, Chlorine and Iodine
Sulphur
You hear of copper, gold, silver and iron through out the Bible, but sulphur is mentioned more then once. Sluphur is translated to brimstone and no matter when it is mentioned it is always accompanied by punishment, destruction or threat of violence. In Genesis, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are over thrown when "brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven" comes upon them. No matter where sulphur is a bad connotation follows whether it is from stories or from it rotting egg sent. Sulphur was used ,though, to combat cholera into the 20th century.
Chlorine
Chlorine is best known for its use in warfare, which began in 1915. Chlorine is twice as heavy as air making it the best option for trench warfare, because it would settle in the trenches, leaving the enemy no choice; retreat or die. When chlorine is breathed in it rips through the blood vessels in the lungs and to try to mitigate the damage the body produces mucus, which eventually becomes so much that the person drowns. This was not the only time chlorine was used for war though, "Agent Orange" is a chlorofluorocarbon. This herbicide was used during the Vietnam War to try and thin the jungle to give the enemy less places to hide. Another herbicide, DDT, is well known too; it is a chlorinated hydrocarbon. After WWI there was a epidemic of the flu, which chlorine was used to help cure it; the irony in this is that it did not help a bit, but was used religiously.
Iodine
Iodine is said to be one of the great accidental discoveries of science. It is actually found I seawater and other mineral sources and used to treat goiter. The concentration of iodide in seawater is less the 100 ppb, but in seaweed its concentration can be the upwards of 3 thousand ppm. Iodine is an effective disinfectant, but produces quite a sting.
You hear of copper, gold, silver and iron through out the Bible, but sulphur is mentioned more then once. Sluphur is translated to brimstone and no matter when it is mentioned it is always accompanied by punishment, destruction or threat of violence. In Genesis, the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are over thrown when "brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven" comes upon them. No matter where sulphur is a bad connotation follows whether it is from stories or from it rotting egg sent. Sulphur was used ,though, to combat cholera into the 20th century.
Chlorine
Chlorine is best known for its use in warfare, which began in 1915. Chlorine is twice as heavy as air making it the best option for trench warfare, because it would settle in the trenches, leaving the enemy no choice; retreat or die. When chlorine is breathed in it rips through the blood vessels in the lungs and to try to mitigate the damage the body produces mucus, which eventually becomes so much that the person drowns. This was not the only time chlorine was used for war though, "Agent Orange" is a chlorofluorocarbon. This herbicide was used during the Vietnam War to try and thin the jungle to give the enemy less places to hide. Another herbicide, DDT, is well known too; it is a chlorinated hydrocarbon. After WWI there was a epidemic of the flu, which chlorine was used to help cure it; the irony in this is that it did not help a bit, but was used religiously.
Iodine
Iodine is said to be one of the great accidental discoveries of science. It is actually found I seawater and other mineral sources and used to treat goiter. The concentration of iodide in seawater is less the 100 ppb, but in seaweed its concentration can be the upwards of 3 thousand ppm. Iodine is an effective disinfectant, but produces quite a sting.
Friday, March 13, 2015
Carbon, Mendelevium, and Mercury
Carbon
It is said that black carbon, charcoal and coal, is the stuff of rebel causes. A real life Robin Hood, named Fulk Fitz Warin, proves this. He was sent to the court of Henry II as a child, then dispossessed and began life as an outlaw. As a child he quarreled with prince John and when he found out that John had become king he lured him in Windsor Forest by pretending to be a charcoal burner. Warin made King John promise to restore his inheritance. Not to much later John resigned and decreed the forest forges be shut down. Maybe because people don't enjoy being ambushed in the woods.
In Basque country Santa Claus was called Olentzero and he was a fat charcoal burner.
Mendelevium
In 1955 the 101st element was named after Dmitrii Mendeleev, he was the first to be commemorated in this manner. Mendelevium is difficult to produce, because it is man made, and when it is produced it decays quickly, so that we do not know much about this element.
Mercury
Mercury is the only element that can produced a perfect reflection. Mercury has always been celebrated because it has both metallic and liquid properties. In Islam if you were rich you had a ornamental pool of mercury. These pools were everywhere so people could touch and enjoy the liquids glittering and reflective properties, this was all of course before we realized the poisonous qualities it also possessed. Mercury was not just used for aesthetic value though because of its density, fluidity and conductivity it was used for cosmetics, its poisonous nature makes it an effective insecticide, and it has been an active ingredient in medicines. Sadly though in 20011the European Union banned the export of mercury to try and limit global exposure.
It is said that black carbon, charcoal and coal, is the stuff of rebel causes. A real life Robin Hood, named Fulk Fitz Warin, proves this. He was sent to the court of Henry II as a child, then dispossessed and began life as an outlaw. As a child he quarreled with prince John and when he found out that John had become king he lured him in Windsor Forest by pretending to be a charcoal burner. Warin made King John promise to restore his inheritance. Not to much later John resigned and decreed the forest forges be shut down. Maybe because people don't enjoy being ambushed in the woods.
In Basque country Santa Claus was called Olentzero and he was a fat charcoal burner.
Mendelevium
In 1955 the 101st element was named after Dmitrii Mendeleev, he was the first to be commemorated in this manner. Mendelevium is difficult to produce, because it is man made, and when it is produced it decays quickly, so that we do not know much about this element.
Mercury
Mercury is the only element that can produced a perfect reflection. Mercury has always been celebrated because it has both metallic and liquid properties. In Islam if you were rich you had a ornamental pool of mercury. These pools were everywhere so people could touch and enjoy the liquids glittering and reflective properties, this was all of course before we realized the poisonous qualities it also possessed. Mercury was not just used for aesthetic value though because of its density, fluidity and conductivity it was used for cosmetics, its poisonous nature makes it an effective insecticide, and it has been an active ingredient in medicines. Sadly though in 20011the European Union banned the export of mercury to try and limit global exposure.
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Platnium and Iron
Platinum
"Any fool would know that with tweeds and other daytime cloths one wears gold; with evening clothes one wears platinum" Duchess of Windsor. During a time of economic suffering platinum filled the void where gold was because silver is just simply too common and gold to expensive. During the Second World War platinum was rationed because it was an effective catalyst in making explosives. Of course after this Queen Elizabeth had a crown made completely of platinum for her coronation in 1937, how embarrassed the Duchess of Windsor would of been.
Iron
Iron is the metal of the heavens, lumps of it fell form the sky and they still do. One of the biggest meteorites, which is now at the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History, was found by Ellis Hughes in 1902. Ironically enough he found it on a piece of property that belonged to the Oregon Iron and Steel Company. Though this is an impressive meteorite the most impressive are found at the poles. Where the Inuit's have named the three largest man, woman, and dog.
We al know now that blood contains iron, but in the late 1700's they did not, until Vincenzo Menghini did some investigating. Menghini was a physician in Bologna and he was determined to find out why blood had a metallic taste. He collected samples of blood from various mammals, birds, and fish and roasted them until there was a solid residue. He then preceded to poke around in the residue with a magnetic knife and was pleased to find that there was iron in blood. His research helped in curing chloris and gave a base for future studies about blood.
"Any fool would know that with tweeds and other daytime cloths one wears gold; with evening clothes one wears platinum" Duchess of Windsor. During a time of economic suffering platinum filled the void where gold was because silver is just simply too common and gold to expensive. During the Second World War platinum was rationed because it was an effective catalyst in making explosives. Of course after this Queen Elizabeth had a crown made completely of platinum for her coronation in 1937, how embarrassed the Duchess of Windsor would of been.
Iron
Iron is the metal of the heavens, lumps of it fell form the sky and they still do. One of the biggest meteorites, which is now at the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History, was found by Ellis Hughes in 1902. Ironically enough he found it on a piece of property that belonged to the Oregon Iron and Steel Company. Though this is an impressive meteorite the most impressive are found at the poles. Where the Inuit's have named the three largest man, woman, and dog.
We al know now that blood contains iron, but in the late 1700's they did not, until Vincenzo Menghini did some investigating. Menghini was a physician in Bologna and he was determined to find out why blood had a metallic taste. He collected samples of blood from various mammals, birds, and fish and roasted them until there was a solid residue. He then preceded to poke around in the residue with a magnetic knife and was pleased to find that there was iron in blood. His research helped in curing chloris and gave a base for future studies about blood.
Sunday, March 1, 2015
Gold
Gold is the metal worshipped by modern society. When Pliny speaks of gold he said " natural gold may contain the light of the sun, but minted gold becomes a symbol of perversion and the exaltation of unclean disire.
George de Hevesy and Niels Bohr were scientists in Nazi Germany. They both wished to leave Germany, but there was one issue, gold was not allowed to be taken over the border and they both won the Nobel Prize. So they dissolved the gold in aqua regia and left in until after the war. Years later Bohr wrote to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and explained his situation, they gladly reminted him a Nobel Prize.
The ancients built golden statues to their gods, we moderns build gold statues to models. In 2008 a lifesized gold statue of Kate Moss was commissioned by the British Museum, it is pure gold and worth 1.5million pounds
George de Hevesy and Niels Bohr were scientists in Nazi Germany. They both wished to leave Germany, but there was one issue, gold was not allowed to be taken over the border and they both won the Nobel Prize. So they dissolved the gold in aqua regia and left in until after the war. Years later Bohr wrote to the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and explained his situation, they gladly reminted him a Nobel Prize.
The ancients built golden statues to their gods, we moderns build gold statues to models. In 2008 a lifesized gold statue of Kate Moss was commissioned by the British Museum, it is pure gold and worth 1.5million pounds
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