tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post5953438347560269357..comments2024-03-26T00:25:34.026-04:00Comments on Not Running a Hospital: In memoriam: Mr. WizardPaul Levyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17065446378970179507noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-90233444247016646122007-06-19T22:08:00.000-04:002007-06-19T22:08:00.000-04:00My high school chemistry teacher used to toss a cr...My high school chemistry teacher used to toss a crusty piece of sodium onto a bucket of water as a demonstration of the reaction -- the sodium would dance on top of the water. Until the year that he tossed the sodium and realized as it left his hand that it was solid. He yelled "duck", dove for cover, and the sodium went through the ceiling. No more demonstrations.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-2701654453259779182007-06-14T14:57:00.000-04:002007-06-14T14:57:00.000-04:00This can be done with any of the elements from the...This can be done with any of the elements from the first column of the Periodic Table (the <B>alkali metals</B>). The further down the column (heavier) they are, the stronger their reaction with water -- luckily my high school chem teacher had some extra potassium around, hoo boy! Let's just say he had to bring us outside for that particular demonstration.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-51143827807973245342007-06-14T11:28:00.000-04:002007-06-14T11:28:00.000-04:00Bingo, you win! Never, ever mix up sodium and phos...<I>Bingo, you win! Never, ever mix up sodium and phosphorous. You store sodium in oil and phosphorous in water.</I><BR/><BR/>OK, that's it. Mr. Levy really did go to MIT.<BR/><BR/>For a minute I read 'potassium' for 'phosphorus', which gives that last sentence a completely different meaning.<BR/><BR/>When I was growing up I saw this video about the elements where the guy does <I>all</I> the alkali metals. The cesium made quite an impression.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-9657950255433979402007-06-13T14:56:00.000-04:002007-06-13T14:56:00.000-04:00Okay so I remember Mr. Wizard and he was cool. Bu...Okay so I remember Mr. Wizard and he was cool. But even cooler were little blue boxes with yellow labels called "Things of Science." It was a subscription service and arrived every month in the mail with all the materials to perform some very nifty experiment together with instructions. It is described here http://ecg.mit.edu/george/tos/ . Anyone else remember these?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-79488891496507065552007-06-13T12:23:00.000-04:002007-06-13T12:23:00.000-04:00Unrelated question-IN light of what happened recen...Unrelated question-<BR/>IN light of what happened recently a CA hospital (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19207050) and based on the experiences like the one of a friend (had a chicken bone piercing her tonsil, made to wait in an ER for 4 HOURS), what's the protocol for who gets triaged or treated first in an ER?Lysshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17772991974064492182noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-61985549884080769102007-06-13T09:18:00.000-04:002007-06-13T09:18:00.000-04:00Bingo, you win! Never, ever mix up sodium and pho...Bingo, you win! Never, ever mix up sodium and phosphorous. You store sodium in oil and phosphorous in water. The reverse is a BIG mistake.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32053362.post-35469996881072939112007-06-13T08:38:00.000-04:002007-06-13T08:38:00.000-04:00I think the element is sodium. My chemistry teache...I think the element is sodium. My chemistry teacher almost burned the school down with this trick.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com