What genre is The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean?
The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements, is a 2010 book by science reporter Sam Kean.
Who wrote The Disappearing Spoon?
Sam KeanThe Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements / AuthorSam Kean is an American writer. He has written for The New York Times Magazine, Mental Floss, Slate, Psychology Today, and The New Scientist. He has also published six books which discuss scientific discoveries in a narrative style. Wikipedia
When was the disappearing spoon published?
July 12, 2010The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements / Originally published
What is the theme of the Disappearing Spoon?
Experimentation, Accidents, and Discovery.
What is the basis of the Disappearing Spoon?
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.
What is PO on the periodic table?
PoloniumPolonium, (element 84), was discovered in 1898 and named after Poland, the homeland of Marie Curie (Ne Sklodowska) who found it with her husband Pierre Curie....Discovery date1898Origin of the namePolonium is named after Poland, the native country of Marie Curie, who first isolated the element.Allotropesα-Po, β-Po1 more row
Who is considered the father of the periodic table?
Dmitri MendeleevAlbert GhiorsoPeriodic table/InventorsDmitri Mendeleev, Russian in full Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleyev, (born January 27 (February 8, New Style), 1834, Tobolsk, Siberia, Russian Empire—died January 20 (February 2), 1907, St. Petersburg, Russia), Russian chemist who developed the periodic classification of the elements.
Why is mercury considered a cultish element?
In fact, mercury is one of the more cultish elements: its atoms want to keep company only with other mercury atoms, and they minimize contact with the outside world by crouching into a sphere. Most liquids I spilled as a child weren't like that. Water tumbled all over, as did oil, vinegar, and unset Jell-O.
Who is considered the father of the periodic table?
Dmitri MendeleevAlbert GhiorsoPeriodic table/InventorsDmitri Mendeleev, Russian in full Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleyev, (born January 27 (February 8, New Style), 1834, Tobolsk, Siberia, Russian Empire—died January 20 (February 2), 1907, St. Petersburg, Russia), Russian chemist who developed the periodic classification of the elements.
What is the element of spoon?
Manufacture. For machine-made spoons, the basic shape is cut out from a sheet of sterling silver, nickel silver alloy or stainless steel. The bowl is cross rolled between two pressurized rollers to produce a thinner section.
Why is mercury considered a cultish element?
In fact, mercury is one of the more cultish elements: its atoms want to keep company only with other mercury atoms, and they minimize contact with the outside world by crouching into a sphere. Most liquids I spilled as a child weren't like that. Water tumbled all over, as did oil, vinegar, and unset Jell-O.
How do I download chemistry books?
2:334:11How to download chemistry books - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWe can search any books that is for examples if we have two such physical chemistry books then weMoreWe can search any books that is for examples if we have two such physical chemistry books then we can search it with the help of titles.
What does Kean hope the disappearing spoon will convince them?
Changing Minds. In interviews, Kean has stated that he was aware that many readers probably have an automatically unfavorable view of the periodic table, imagining it to be boring. He hopes that The Disappearing Spoon will convince them otherwise.
What is the first historical event in the book?
Many historical events are covered in the novel, beginning with what is arguably the very first historical event—the Big Bang . Kean traces the history of the universe, along with our galaxy and solar system, detailing how Earth and the other planets were formed. He also provides an account of the speculation around how the dinosaurs died out. Jumping ahead in time, Kean mentions scenes from Ancient Greece, such as the Spartans’ (largely unsuccessful) attempt to use chemical weapons against the Athenians. He also considers how Plato’s theory of the forms relates to the contemporary scientific understanding of the elements. The majority of the book, however, focuses on the period between the Age of the Enlightenment and the present—particularly from the 19th century onwards, as this is when the periodic table was devised. Key historical events that the book covers within this period include the Australian gold rush, the discovery of DNA, and the Manhattan Project, in which the first nuclear bomb was developed.
Narrator and Point of View
Third-person point-of-view with the author diving into the perspectives of different historical characters at times.
Tone and Mood
Generally speaking, the tone is more conversational than the dry direct quality of a science textbook. The mood varies, but for the most part conveys the author’s own sense of awe and wonder at the miracles of science and discovery he is discussing.
Protagonist and Antagonist
Protagonist: Scientific inquisitiveness. Antagonist: the use of such inquisitiveness for the purpose of evil intent.
Major Conflict
Several individual conflicts arise over the course of the text, but these are almost all related thematically to what might be identified as the overarching major conflict: ambition versus ethics.
Climax
The climax is actually the foundational event behind the concept of the book: the establishment of the Periodic Table of Elements.
Foreshadowing
In the Introduction, the author relates a story from his own childhood about how he had trouble locating his favorite element on the table because its symbol (Hg) is comprised of two letters which do not even appear in its name.
Allusions
The younger brother of Lucy and Linus, Rerun Van Pelt, in the Peanuts comic strip has gained a sort of secondary level of fame for his ability to blow square balloons out of regularly shaped material. This talent is alluded to in the section on the science of bubbles relative to Lord Kelvin being able to produce sorta-kinda square-ish bubbles.
What is the disappearing spoon about?
By including a diverse variety of discovery stories, Kean shows that learning about new elements often involves accidental circumstances . This relates to one of the fundamental paradoxes of scientific discovery: at its core, discovery is the process of finding something that already exists before definitively knowing that it exists. The fact that such discoveries must involve…
What is the central subject of The Disappearing Spoon?
Although the central subject of The Disappearing Spoon is the periodic table, the book is not particularly focused on the elements themselves. Instead, Kean explores the role that the periodic elements play within human culture. He does so by telling stories about the lives of scientists; explaining how elements are discovered and used; and showing how the periodic table interacts with cultural phenomena such as art, war, mental instability, religion, and money. In doing…
Why is the disappearing spoon important?
In The Disappearing Spoon, Sam Kean argues that storytelling is a vitally important part of scientific knowledge and can play a key role in enhancing understanding of science, particularly for non-experts. He drives this message home using his own personal perspective as someone who has always been interested in science yet is drawn more to writing and narrative than he is to conducting experiments in a lab. While the reader of The Disappearing Spoon …
