The Disappearing Spoon Ch. 19

Summary

Francium is the rarest and most delicate element on the periodic table. Astatine is the least found natural element with only one ounce of existence. Scientists found it because sometimes the radioactive decays into this element These elements are so fast to disintegrate, and very radioactive and harmful if ever tried to get more atoms together. This is because their nuclei is so big. Then the other elements, were expected to last very little due to this. It was a shocking discovery when they noticed that element 114 could last a little longer that some elements before it. Elements 112 and 116 benefitted from this element and gained stability as well. Scientists desired to find more beyond this “island of stability”. Francium is yet more abundant because when radioactive elements around uranium decay, they become this stranded element. Some scientists believe that they can make nuclei stable if it becomes heavier, so they intend to create elements with larger atomic number than the ones already discovered.

Einstein added much knowledge and insight to quantum mechanics and other scientific records. He tried to solve the “Theory of Everything”, failed, but in the world of science a fail is not always so, and can become something more complementing maybe another idea. Seaborg and his colleagues reorganized the periodic table and had to accommodate transition metals. The element actinium was the element to give the periodic table its shape, the one that pulled the elements to the bottom of the periodic table. There is more to the periodic table. There are antiprotons with a negative charge which like electrons and protons pair up with positrons, aka anti electrons. There are so many particles that are being discovered and could potentially open new doors to new scientific knowledge, but it all started, with the periodic table of elements.

Reflection

This is sadly the last chapter, but the interesting material and humor of the author is not quite over. It is explained how Hydrogen and Helium are the two components of the universe, but elaborates explaining that this is an error, and even mocks how many kilos of “error” are on earth and the most scarcest element is only an ounce. I find it interesting how einstein tried to figure out the theory of everything. Physicists, is nice to know, believe in the possible time travel. I would tell this to any of my friends and explain to them that there is a loophole that that allows particles called tachyons to move very fast and even move backward. It is odd to ever imagine that there was another shape for the great fort castle that we see in our science, but mostly chemistry classes. Yet who knows maybe like the books says, this is not even the correct form, but one day, as we progress will get to it or even have an anti periodic table.