The Disappearing Spoon Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Galapagos of the Periodic Table
Summary:
In chapter 3, Kean begins by talking about Robert Bunsen whose arsenic obsession led to an explosion that made him half blind. He was a German chemist who successfully improved the Bunsen burner and made it popular. By studying geysers and volcanoes through collecting vapors and boiling liquids, he was able to figure out how geysers build up the pressure that causes them to blow. Not only this, but he was also able to invent the spectroscope which is used to observe elements. The author then goes off to talk about Dmitri Mendeleev’s life and his contributions in the periodic table. Mendeleev was able to place the 62 known elements into rows and columns; however, he wasn't the only one, for Julius Meyer also worked on a periodic table of his own. Kean then points out how Mendeleev was able to predict elements that hadn't been discovered yet.
In addition, the author continues to be explaining how Francois Lecoq de Boisbaudran had came to discover gallium; Mendeleev claim that his measurements of gallium were incorrect since it differed from his own predictions about the element. Interesting as it was, Johann Friedrich’s story was then told by Kean. Friedrich was a magician who would supposedly be able to transform silver into gold; consequently, this cost him to become imprisoned by the king of Poland. Instead of being hanged for his falseness, he was put with Ehrenfried Walter von Tschirnhaus to come up with the recipe for porcelain. Eventually, they were successful in figuring out the recipe. Before concluding the chapter, Kean discusses the discovery of seven new elements, lanthanide metals, in Ytterby, Sweden.
Reflection:
Just like the other chapters, I was really interested in chapter 3 because there were many stories told about people who were involved in different discoveries. I particularly like the story about the magician who was imprisoned by a king in order to create gold for him. This chapter contained interesting facts, such as Robert Bunsen who was half-blind his last 60 years of life. It enabled me to achieve a different perspective upon the lives of scientists because now I know their kind of long lasting dedication that scientists have for the work, like Bunsen who continue to work even after becoming half blinded by an explosion. I learned that scientists can at times make mistakes in their studies just like Boisbaudran did with gallium.

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