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The disappearing spoon : and other true tales of madness, love, and the history of the world from the periodic table of the elements Cover Image Book Book

The disappearing spoon : and other true tales of madness, love, and the history of the world from the periodic table of the elements

Kean, Sam. (Author).

Summary: The periodic table of the elements is a crowning scientific achievement, but it's also a treasure trove of passion, adventure, obsession, and betrayal. These tales follow carbon, neon, silicon, gold, and all the elements in the table as they play out their parts in human history. The usual suspects are here, like Marie Curie (and her radioactive journey to the discovery of polonium and radium) and William Shockley (who is credited, not exactly justly, with the discovery of the silicon transistor)--but the more obscure characters provide some of the best stories, like Paul Emile Franȯis Lecoq de Boisbaudran, whose discovery of gallium, a metal with a low melting point, gives this book its title: a spoon made of gallium will melt in a cup of tea.--From publisher description.

Record details

  • ISBN: 0316051632 (pbk.)
  • ISBN: 9780316051637 (pbk.)
  • Physical Description: 391, 9 p. : ill. ; 22 cm.
    print
  • Edition: 1st Back Bay pbk. ed.
  • Publisher: New York : Back Bay Books, 2011.

Content descriptions

General Note:
Includes Reading Group Guide.
Bibliography, etc. Note: Includes bibliographical references (p. [377]) and index.
Formatted Contents Note: Orientation : column by column, row by row. Geography is destiny ; Near twins and black sheep : the genealogy of elements ; The Galp̀agos of the periodic table -- Making atoms, breaking atoms. Where atoms come from : "We are all star stuff" ; Elements in time of war ; Completing the table-- with a bang ; Extending the table, expanding the Cold War -- Periodic confusion : the emergence of complexity. From physics to biology ; Poisoner's corridor : "Ouch-ouch" ; Take two elements, call me in the morning ; How elements deceive -- The elements of human character. Political elements ; Elements as money ; Artistic elements ; An element of madness -- Element science today and tomorrow. Chemistry way, way below zero ; Spheres of splendor : the science of bubbles ; Tools of ridiculous precision ; Above (and beyond) the periodic table.

Search for related items by subject

Subject: Chemical elements Miscellanea
Periodic law Tables

Available copies

  • 1 of 1 copy available at Kirtland Community College.

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  • 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
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Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Status Due Date
Kirtland Community College Library QD 466 .K43 2010 30542269 General Collection Available -
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Syndetic Solutions - Summary for ISBN Number 9780316051637
The Disappearing Spoon : And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements
The Disappearing Spoon : And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements
by Kean, Sam
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Summary

The Disappearing Spoon : And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements


From New York Times bestselling author Sam Kean comes incredible stories of science, history, finance, mythology, the arts, medicine, and more, as told by the Periodic Table. Why did Gandhi hate iodine (I, 53)? How did radium (Ra, 88) nearly ruin Marie Curie's reputation? And why is gallium (Ga, 31) the go-to element for laboratory pranksters? The Periodic Table is a crowning scientific achievement, but it's also a treasure trove of adventure, betrayal, and obsession. These fascinating tales follow every element on the table as they play out their parts in human history, and in the lives of the (frequently) mad scientists who discovered them. The Disappearing Spoon masterfully fuses science with the classic lore of invention, investigation, and discovery -- from the Big Bang through the end of time. Though solid at room temperature, gallium is a moldable metal that melts at 84 degrees Fahrenheit. A classic science prank is to mold gallium spoons, serve them with tea, and watch guests recoil as their utensils disappear.
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