tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010505890506526002.post8581116028375368865..comments2024-03-18T22:53:05.428-04:00Comments on Just Like Cooking: Educational #ChemophobiaSee Arr Ohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09464185815368499346noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010505890506526002.post-42878916350097273082012-10-18T23:25:27.649-04:002012-10-18T23:25:27.649-04:00I feel like that topic's familiar, somehow...
...I feel like that topic's familiar, somehow...<br />http://justlikecooking.blogspot.com/2012/09/welcome-akirium.htmlSee Arr Ohhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09464185815368499346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010505890506526002.post-16534728818934092622012-10-18T22:56:21.680-04:002012-10-18T22:56:21.680-04:00Oops, I forgot to mention that 118 elements have b...Oops, I forgot to mention that 118 elements have been made; 113, 115, & 117-118 haven't been officially accepted but there is little doubt they were made by a Livermore-Dubna collaboration. Researchers at RIKEN in Japan just obtained conclusive evidence (after close to 3 years of bombardment as I recall) for (a different isotope of) 113 (raising a serious question about who should get credit for this element).gippgignoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010505890506526002.post-38462201980829039672012-10-18T22:39:31.149-04:002012-10-18T22:39:31.149-04:00I've been interested in transuranium elements ...I've been interested in transuranium elements since I was a kid. (I never dreamed I'd have americium in my house. How times have changed...)gippgignoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010505890506526002.post-87288150793654785562012-10-18T06:26:51.076-04:002012-10-18T06:26:51.076-04:00Don't shy away from your rant, that's what...Don't shy away from your rant, that's what blogs are for! ; )<br /><br />I love the amount of data you've used to justify your number. I also agree completely with your feelings RE: education.See Arr Ohhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09464185815368499346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010505890506526002.post-35961334221862143682012-10-18T01:24:43.927-04:002012-10-18T01:24:43.927-04:00Make that 94 elements, 88 of which occur in signif...Make that 94 elements, 88 of which occur in significant amounts.<br />Tc - occurs in trace amounts as a result of fission (spontaneous of U-238 or stray neutron-induced of U-235). May have been detected spectroscopically in nature before being artificially produced (unclear).<br />Pm - first produced artificially (isolated from fission products); occurs in trace amounts from fission and from the recently discovered alpha decay of Eu-151 (ridiculously long half-life).<br />At - first produced artificially; produced in trace amounts in natural radioactive decay chains.<br />Fr - first discovered as the product of the (rare) alpha decay branch of naturally-occuring Ac-227. Calling this an artificial element is totally incorrect.<br />Np - first produced artificially; occurs in trace amounts as the result of neutrons interacting with U.<br />Pu - first produced artificially; Pu-238 is produced in trace amounts by the rare double beta decay of U-238 (PRL 67 3211), Pu-239 occurs in trace amounts (about 10 atoms/1,000,000,000,000 atoms of U) in U ores from neutron capture by U-238 (JACS 70 1571), & there was a fairly well-known report of Pu-244 being detected in nature (N 234 132) but apparently a more recent and more sensitive search was negative.<br />To get back to the main topic, I don't think anyone should be forced to study anything but everyone should be encouraged to learn as much as they want about any subject they want.<br />To rant a bit, it's really annoying how many people seem to feel the purpose of education is to get a career. The purpose of education is to become literate (literally, scientifically, etc.), which has almost unlimited uses. Understanding things is tremendously valuable, and just plain satisfying, regardless of whether or not someone has a career. As the saying goes, knowledge = power.gippgignoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010505890506526002.post-54250031740434159772012-10-17T12:11:26.993-04:002012-10-17T12:11:26.993-04:00unfair slam. Some of us that care about education ...unfair slam. Some of us that care about education sometimes vote Republican. We are thoughtful independents.Juliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00340547422474716630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010505890506526002.post-49601874313933421282012-10-17T11:22:51.406-04:002012-10-17T11:22:51.406-04:00Great Post. Scientific literacy and the tools one ...Great Post. Scientific literacy and the tools one develops in learning chemistry, biology, or physics cab also help us better shape science policy in this country. Julianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01760083806387365456noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010505890506526002.post-20061291821235599022012-10-17T08:36:13.071-04:002012-10-17T08:36:13.071-04:00I taught HS chemistry for 2 years after retiring f...I taught HS chemistry for 2 years after retiring from a career in biotech (PhD, immunology). One of my favorite exchanges was with a student who, while I was explaining how to calculate the number of moles in 5g of sodium azide, asked "Are we ever gonna use this?" I said, "NO....unless in the unlikely event that you major in chemistry or engineering...or you might like to figure out the volume of nitrogen produced when an air bag inflates." But i went on to say that what I was teaching them was critical thinking, exercising your mind to solve problems, in order to prepare you to solve problems when you might encounter them, and to recognize when someone is trying to deceive you.<br /><br />And if I had been particularly cynical that day, I could've gone on to say, "No, you don't need to know this, but the people who will be your bosses, and who will be telling you what to do every day, and who will be laughing at you behind your back...THEY will be learning this stuff."shoshinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15374927625011108861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010505890506526002.post-35280447397521577862012-10-17T06:16:58.515-04:002012-10-17T06:16:58.515-04:00stupid republican this father...stupid republican this father...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010505890506526002.post-25178384780244908232012-10-17T01:08:19.053-04:002012-10-17T01:08:19.053-04:001) Idiocracy: great flick, or greatest flick?
2) K...1) Idiocracy: great flick, or greatest flick?<br />2) Kids should be spending time studying Happy Talk so that they can compete with 3 billion Chinese and Indian students busting their asses learning difficult, challenging subjects. This is a recipe for success.<br />timhttp://tinyurl.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010505890506526002.post-39711430199018777822012-10-16T23:58:30.803-04:002012-10-16T23:58:30.803-04:00I read that article and it scared me so much. What...I read that article and it scared me so much. What is it with people being afraid of other people struggling? Subject X is hard, so let's get rid of it! Dubious Radicalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17969501020608801794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010505890506526002.post-1307132110959128592012-10-16T20:04:44.955-04:002012-10-16T20:04:44.955-04:00Actually people do this with math as well: http://...Actually people do this with math as well: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/29/opinion/sunday/is-algebra-necessary.html?pagewanted=allLucas Wimanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13001386543414706674noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010505890506526002.post-69901384133397406542012-10-16T18:13:17.264-04:002012-10-16T18:13:17.264-04:00Just tell them a Wizard did it.
...
...
...Honest...Just tell them a Wizard did it.<br /><br />...<br />...<br />...Honestly though...kids need to know science basics. Else we get more people who think the Earth is a flat disc and that "fire" is an element.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010505890506526002.post-63017367188809346252012-10-16T18:08:49.412-04:002012-10-16T18:08:49.412-04:00You inspired me.... I extrapolated on my comment a...You inspired me.... I extrapolated on my comment above in my own blog.... Thanks for inspiring me! <br />http://stoichiometricequiv.blogspot.com/2012/10/youre-really-going-to-make-my-son-spend.htmlJuliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00340547422474716630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010505890506526002.post-9576522041566390142012-10-16T17:42:16.765-04:002012-10-16T17:42:16.765-04:00I couldn't agree with this post more. Being re...I couldn't agree with this post more. Being required to take chemistry is not only an essential part of liberal education, it is critical to the influence of future decisions in any child's life. Without a scientific education (this includes basic chemistry) you cannot understand basic human body functions, basic "gadget" functions or even what is going on in your own kitchen. And the sad thing is that people who haven't been exposed to chemistry don't even realize all the things they don't know about.<br /><br />This may have inspired my own blog post.Juliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00340547422474716630noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010505890506526002.post-8614125025307317002012-10-16T16:54:10.518-04:002012-10-16T16:54:10.518-04:00Actually, there are 88 naturally occurring element...Actually, there are 88 naturally occurring elements (43, 61, 85, & 87 are radioactive with no long lived isotopes). Or if you want to look at another way, there are 94, since 43, 61, 85, 87, 93, & 94 are produced in small amounts due to decay events and neutron capture, but then decay.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010505890506526002.post-20087000498582482012012-10-16T13:20:25.455-04:002012-10-16T13:20:25.455-04:00Well said. I think a broad education in the scienc...Well said. I think a broad education in the sciences is key for any future profession. It's simple. Your world is made up of "chemicals", right? Then you need to study elementary chemistry in high school.Wavefunctionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14993805391653267639noreply@blogger.com