The Disappearing Spoon
and other true tales of madness, love, and the history of the world from the periodic table of the elements
by Sam Kean
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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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Miscellanea, Chemical elements, Chemists, Chemistry, History, Chemistry, history, Periodic law, Tables, nyt:hardcover-nonfiction=2010-08-08, New York Times bestseller, Chemistry, juvenile literature, Science, juvenile literature, Science, New York Times reviewed, Periodic table of the elementsShowing 2 featured editions. View all 19 editions?
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1
The Disappearing Spoon: and other true tales of madness, love, and the history of the world from the periodic table of the elements
2011, Back Bay Books
in English
- 1st Back Bay pbk. ed.
0316051632 9780316051637
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2
The Disappearing Spoon: and other true tales of madness, love, and the history of the world from the periodic table of the elements by Sam Kean
2010, Little, Brown and Co.
in English
- 1st ed.
0316051640 9780316051644
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Book Details
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Includes bibliographical references (p. [377]) and index.
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| 5 hours ago | Edited by Vivienne | Description, link |
| December 23, 2022 | Edited by MARC Bot | import existing book |
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| November 9, 2010 | Created by ImportBot | initial import |