April 25, 2008

Where Have All the Periodic Tables Gone?

Posted by Lisa Jarvis on April 25, 2008 in Chemistry is Everywhere

On a stroll through a flea market in my neighborhood last weekend, I happened upon a tiny treasure in a bin of old books. “Wonders of Science: A Pictorial Story of Science and Invention,” is a guide through the “wonderland of science” that was the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia in the 1930s. There were two rather precious chemistry gems in the mix: Lilliputian Laboratory, a miniature reproduction of a modern chemical laboratory, and The Building Blocks of the Earth, a gigantic spiraling periodic table with actual samples of the elements (pictures of both after the jump). Now, the charm of the Lilliputian Laboratory lay primarily in its, well, Lilliputian-ness; It pretty much looks like a diorama I might have made in the fourth grade. The Building Blocks of the Earth, on the other hand, is truly something special. It raises several questions:

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Chemistry Newsbytes

Posted by Bethany Halford and Lisa Jarvis on April 25, 2008 in Chemistry is Everywhere

Turning those dirty diapers into roof tiles: Britain gets its first nappy recycling plant. The Guardian

Out: The low-carb diet. In: The low-carbon diet. LA Times

MIT students dig into the controversial theory of concrete pyramids. Boston Globe

Risk of depression dogs antiaddiction meds. Associated Press

Protein study shows that at a T. Rex family reunion, you’d be more likely to find chickens than lizards. Washington Post

University of Michigan picks up a slew of ex-Pfizer scientists. MLive

Bugs use plants as telephones. Live Science

Fun with science mnemonics. Drug Monkey

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