Comments on: Wisps of Metal, Whispers of History http://cenblog.org/2009/07/08/wisps-of-metal-whispers-of-history/ Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:17:18 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Carmen Drahl http://cenblog.org/2009/07/08/wisps-of-metal-whispers-of-history/comment-page-1/#comment-30896 Carmen Drahl Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:05:16 +0000 http://cenblog.org/?p=1355#comment-30896 @Dan: Amazing! I hadn't known that (and I don't remember it having come up in the Broadway musical version I saw in high school). Thanks for bringing it to my attention. For anyone who's interested, here is some relevant text from the <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext92/hyde10.txt" rel="nofollow">Project Gutenberg free e-book</a>: <i>My provision of the salt, which had never been renewed since the date of the first experiment, began to run low. I sent out for a fresh supply, and mixed the draught; the ebullition followed, and the first change of colour, not the second; I drank it and it was without efficiency. You will learn from Poole how I have had London ransacked; it was in vain; and I am now persuaded that my first supply was impure, and that it was that unknown impurity which lent efficacy to the draught. About a week has passed, and I am now finishing this statement under the influence of the last of the old powders. This, then, is the last time, short of a miracle, that Henry Jekyll can think his own thoughts or see his own face (now how sadly altered!) in the glass.</i> @Dan: Amazing! I hadn’t known that (and I don’t remember it having come up in the Broadway musical version I saw in high school). Thanks for bringing it to my attention.
For anyone who’s interested, here is some relevant text from the Project Gutenberg free e-book:

My provision of the salt, which had never been renewed since the date of the first experiment, began to run low. I sent out for a fresh supply, and mixed the draught; the ebullition followed, and the first change of colour, not the second; I drank it and it was without efficiency. You will learn from Poole how I have had London ransacked; it was in vain; and I am now persuaded that my first supply was impure, and that it was that unknown impurity which lent efficacy to the draught.

About a week has passed, and I am now finishing this statement under the influence of the last of the old powders. This, then, is the last time, short of a miracle, that Henry Jekyll can think his own thoughts or see his own face (now how sadly altered!) in the glass.

]]> By: Dan Berger http://cenblog.org/2009/07/08/wisps-of-metal-whispers-of-history/comment-page-1/#comment-30882 Dan Berger Wed, 22 Jul 2009 23:08:35 +0000 http://cenblog.org/?p=1355#comment-30882 Are you aware of the literary connection here? In Robert Louis Stevenson's <i>The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde</i>, the transformation -- first to Hyde, then to Jekyll as Hyde becomes the default, ultimately hinges on unknown impurities in Jekyll's reagents. By the end of the story, he is begging his suppliers for any quantity of the original lots. Are you aware of the literary connection here? In Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the transformation — first to Hyde, then to Jekyll as Hyde becomes the default, ultimately hinges on unknown impurities in Jekyll’s reagents. By the end of the story, he is begging his suppliers for any quantity of the original lots.

]]> By: Time For A Carnival at C&ENtral Science http://cenblog.org/2009/07/08/wisps-of-metal-whispers-of-history/comment-page-1/#comment-30611 Time For A Carnival at C&ENtral Science Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:21:32 +0000 http://cenblog.org/?p=1355#comment-30611 [...] efforts. We’re proud to let you know that C&ENtral Science’s blog post, “Wisps of Metal, Whispers of History,” has been accepted into the 13th edition of “The Giant’s Shoulders“, a [...] [...] efforts. We’re proud to let you know that C&ENtral Science’s blog post, “Wisps of Metal, Whispers of History,” has been accepted into the 13th edition of “The Giant’s Shoulders“, a [...]

]]> By: eugene http://cenblog.org/2009/07/08/wisps-of-metal-whispers-of-history/comment-page-1/#comment-29369 eugene Wed, 15 Jul 2009 10:07:31 +0000 http://cenblog.org/?p=1355#comment-29369 I wouldn't call palytoxin a small molecule though. But yeah, I wouldn't want to be one of the people synthesizing it. Hazmat suits tend to get pretty uncomfortable when you have to wear them ten hours a day in your total synthesis organic lab. Washing glassware to make sure every last microgram is gone is also a bit of a pain. Just lab coat and goggles chemistry for me. I wouldn’t call palytoxin a small molecule though. But yeah, I wouldn’t want to be one of the people synthesizing it. Hazmat suits tend to get pretty uncomfortable when you have to wear them ten hours a day in your total synthesis organic lab. Washing glassware to make sure every last microgram is gone is also a bit of a pain. Just lab coat and goggles chemistry for me.

]]> By: Chad http://cenblog.org/2009/07/08/wisps-of-metal-whispers-of-history/comment-page-1/#comment-28023 Chad Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:37:52 +0000 http://cenblog.org/?p=1355#comment-28023 One key take-home message from this is to keep sure to record lot numbers in your lab book. I cannot count the times that I have encountered lot-to-lot variation. Many times, this discovery led to new understanding of the reaction. One key take-home message from this is to keep sure to record lot numbers in your lab book. I cannot count the times that I have encountered lot-to-lot variation. Many times, this discovery led to new understanding of the reaction.

]]> By: Carmen Drahl http://cenblog.org/2009/07/08/wisps-of-metal-whispers-of-history/comment-page-1/#comment-27139 Carmen Drahl Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:01:42 +0000 http://cenblog.org/?p=1355#comment-27139 Thanks folks.. I'm flattered. I've been doing some thinking about what kinds of pieces would work for the blog, and got inspired by some great pieces on classic papers elsewhere in the blogosphere. <a href="http://skullsinthestars.com/2008/12/25/mr-faradays-most-excellent-experimental-researches-in-electricity-1831/trackback" rel="nofollow">Here's one on Michael Faraday</a>. <a href="http://evilutionarybiologist.blogspot.com/2007/05/this-weeks-citation-classic.html" rel="nofollow">And here's one on the Sanger method for DNA sequencing</a>. Thanks folks.. I’m flattered. I’ve been doing some thinking about what kinds of pieces would work for the blog, and got inspired by some great pieces on classic papers elsewhere in the blogosphere.
Here’s one on Michael Faraday.
And here’s one on the Sanger method for DNA sequencing.

]]> By: Paul http://cenblog.org/2009/07/08/wisps-of-metal-whispers-of-history/comment-page-1/#comment-27085 Paul Sun, 12 Jul 2009 21:46:54 +0000 http://cenblog.org/?p=1355#comment-27085 I agree--a really nice complement to the print piece. A small collection of these stories would make an awesome book..."Behind the Bench"...or something. I agree–a really nice complement to the print piece. A small collection of these stories would make an awesome book…”Behind the Bench”…or something.

]]> By: Chemjobber http://cenblog.org/2009/07/08/wisps-of-metal-whispers-of-history/comment-page-1/#comment-27056 Chemjobber Fri, 10 Jul 2009 02:14:38 +0000 http://cenblog.org/?p=1355#comment-27056 This is a really lovely piece, Carmen. Nice work. This is a really lovely piece, Carmen. Nice work.

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