• Week 10
  1. Examine your own immediate environment for diversity of species - Mushrooms in the Market

  Shiitake Shiitake are one the most popular mushrooms in Japanese cooking, and are also well known outside of Japan. They are available fresh or dried, with the latter being soaked in water before being used. Shiitake mushrooms can be found in various dishes such as nabe (hot pot) dishes, boiled dishes and tempura.

  Maitake Maitake mushrooms are another very popular mushroom in Japanese cuisine. They grow in large colonies and are sometimes referred to as the king of mushrooms.

  Bunashimeji Bunashimeji is another very popular, cultivated mushroom.

  Matsutake Matsutake are highly priced gourmet mushrooms, that cannot be cultivated and are available only in autumn. They are found under pine trees (matsu), and are most valuable when picked just before surfacing with the umbrella still closed. Matsutake are enjoyed in various ways such as grilled or cooked with rice.

  Nametake/Enoki Even though they look differently, nametake and enoki are actually the same mushroom. The yellow nametake is the wild version and a popular ingredient for miso soups and noodle dishes, while the white Enoki is the cultivated version and is often found in hot pot dishes.

  Hiratake Hiratake is the Japanese name for oyster mushrooms. There are many cultivated varieties of hiratake, some of which look quite differently from each other. Eringi is a popular example of a cultivated hiratake.

• 2. The virtual cell structure : The virtual cell structure was almost like an orchestra including many musicians playing in harmony

Week Six

1. Halogen of the week - Flourine

Fluorine is the chemical element atomic number 9 represented by the symbol F.

Fluorine forms a single bond with itself in elemental form, resulting in the diatomic F2 molecule.

F2 is a supremely reactive, poisonous , pale, yellowish brown gas.

Elemental fluorine is the most chemically reactive and electronegative of all the elements.

It will readily "burn" hydrocarbons at room temperature, in contrast to the combustion of hydrocarbons by oxygen , which requires an input of energy with a spark. Therefore, molecular fluorine is highly dangerous, more so than other halogens such as the poisonous chlorine gas.

Drugs are often fluorinated at biologically reactive positions, to prevent their metabolism and prolong their half-lives.

2. Alchemy - science, magic , art or all three? All three :*) It is very similar to see how magicians artists, and scientist add and conduct their alchemy. A little of this a little of that magicians may just be hiding their hands or another middle process while they do and artist may be doing by adding other substances or eliminating pieces from a chunk. However, they all meet the ancient meaning of 'Alchemy ' - the yearning to make something different than it was before.

Week nine

Assignments for Week Nine - The Chemistry of Life

• The ethics of “gene therapy”

I have strong dislikes of anything that is manipulated when it comes to gene. I believe whatever happens to the gene. The most natural way is to let it be. However, if it helps the ones to recover from severe diseases. I am with the opinion that it should be promoted.

• Animation of General, Organic and Biochemistry

I picked several ones but the one about Lipids was interesting. There were so many names we meet everywhere these days - books, magazines, journals...... such as fatty acids and that they are divided in saturated and unsaturated , oleic and linoleic acid, prostaglandins, explained why the prolonged use of aspirin is inhibited to those who have stomach ulcers, that waxes are an ester of a fatty acid and a long chain of alcohol, that sphingolipids are not derived from fat and the nerve tissue is made of this especially the myelin sheath, also that in people 25 % of all the lipids are sphingolipids. The

LDL effect of gene coding that allows too much cholesterol to the plasma and that the excess cholesterol gets accumulated on the arteries resulting in atherosclerosis

• Definitions of the “Chemistry of Life”

- I like the definition below the most. " bridge between biology and chemistry that studies how complex chemical reactions give rise to life. "

Week Seven

1. Alkali Earth Metal of the Week : Magnesium

the symbol is Mg, the atomic number is 12 and the common oxidation number +2. It is an alkaline earth metal and the eighth most abundant element in the Earth's crust, where it constitutes about 2% by mass , and ninth in the known Universe as a whole. This preponderance of magnesium is related to the fact that it is easily built up in supernova stars from a sequential addition of three helium nuclei to carbon (which in turn is made from three helium nuclei). Magnesium ion's high solubility in water helps ensure that it is the third most abundant element dissolved in seawater.

Magnesium is the 11th most abundant element by mass in the human body; its ions are essential to all living cells, where they play a major role in manipulating important biological polyphosphate compounds like ATP, DNA, and RNA. Hundreds of enzymes thus require magnesium ions in order to function. Magnesium is also the metallic ion , and is thus a common additive to fertilizers. Magnesium compounds are used medicinally as common laxatives, antacids (i.e., milk of magnesia ), and in a number of situations where stabilization of abnormal nerve excitation and blood vessel spasm is required (i.e., to treat ecamplasia ). Magnesium ions are sour to the taste, and in low concentrations help to impart a natural tartness to fresh mineral waters.

2. Avogadro's hypothesis

It's amazing how Avogadro discovered that the equal volumes of gas , at the same pressure and temperature , include the equal numbers of molecules is amazing. Moreover it is amazing that it took fifty years before Avogadro's work was recognized. It was also surprising that Avogadro made the distinction between atoms and molecules and again was pushed into the dark recesses of chemistry libraries and ignored.

3. What is a mole ? the amount of substance of a system that contains as many elementary entities such as atoms, molecules, ions and electrons.

Week Eight

1. Semiconductor of the week : Silicon

A semiconductor is a material that has an electrical conductivity between that of a conductor and an insulator, that is, generally in the range 10³ siemens per centimeter to 10⁻⁸S/cm. Devices made from semiconductor materials are the foundation of modern electronics, including radio, computers, telephones, and many other devices. Semiconductor devices include the various types of transistor, solar cells, many kinds of diodes including the light-emitting diode, the silicon controlled rectifier, and digital and analog integrated circuits. Solar photovoltaic panels are large semiconductor devices that directly convert light energy into electrical energy. An external electrical field may change a semiconductor's resistivity. In a metallic conductor, current is carried by the flow of electrons. In semiconductors, current can be carried either by the flow of electrons or by the flow of positively-charged "holes" in the electron structure of the material.

Common semiconducting materials are crystalline solids but amorphous and liquid semiconductors are known, such as mixtures of arsenic, selenium and tellurium in a variety of proportions. They share with better known semiconductors intermediate conductivity and a rapid variation of conductivity with temperature but lack the rigid crystalline structure of conventional semiconductors such as silicon and so are relatively insensitive to impurities and radiation damage.

the symbol is Si and atomic number is 14. Silicon is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon. As the eighth most common element in the universe by mass, silicon very rarely occurs as the pure free element in nature, but is more widely distributed in dusts, planetoids and planets as various forms of silicon dioxide (silica) or silicates. In Earth's crust, silicon is the second most abundant element after oxygen , making up 25.7% of the crust by mass.

Silicon has many industrial uses. It is the principal component of most semiconductor devices, most importantly intergrated curcuits ormicrochips. Silicon is widely used in semiconductors because it remains a semiconductor at higher temperatures than the semiconductor germanium and because its native oxide is easily grown in a furnace and forms a better semiconductor/dielectric interface than any other material.

In the form of silica and silicates, silicon forms useful glasses, cements, and ceramics. It is also a constituent of silicones, a class-name for various synthetic plastic substances made of silicon, oxygen, carbon and hydrogen, often confused with silicon itself.

2. General Chemistry - Balancing equations tutorial : Very lovely and good for newbies :)

3. The Chembalancer

Thank you Chembalancer for reminding how a lot of we are talking about and popping up cool tips like 'Silicon caulk is used to seal around the bathtub and sink to prevent leaks' :)

Week Five

1. Inert (Noble) gas of the week : Helium

• Atomic number : 2
• Symbol : He
• Atomic mass : 4.0026
• Colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, inertmonatomic gas
• Boiling and melting points are the lowest among the elements
• exists only as a gas except in extreme conditions.
• Next to hydrogen , it is the second most abundant element in universe, and accounts for 24% of the elemental mass of our galaxy.

2. The colors in my own kitchen

Green - Broccoli , cabbage , celery

Blue - Blueberries

Red - Raspberries, Strawberries

Yellow - Lemons

Purple - Purple onions

Brown - Korean and Japanese Miso

White - Natural Vanilla Greek Yoghurt

3. Reading the " Colors of the minerals "

It was very interesting that to discover that to a novice observer color is not a good property but more of a confusion in identifying minerals !

Also, the fact that the atomic bond is the culprit of absorbing and emitting wavelengths and therefore making the mineral show the certain color it is.

Discussion Question: Just how close are we to a Green Economy?

Above is a diagram of the pillars of Sustainable Energy

Just how close are we to a Green Economy ? We have a long way to go, that's for sure. However, we are in that direction and that mere fact is good news. There is a more collected public opinion that we want to be green and the companies we buy products to be more green too. Therefore, companies are initiating in investing in green technologies they wouldn't start because of the initial cost and trying to reduce waste. We may not be close now but if we are heading in this direction we are getting there. Keep it up !!!

Atom Economy

Atom economy , which describes the conversion efficiency of a chemical process in terms of all atoms involved . In an ideal chemical process the amount of starting materials or reactants equals the amount of all products generated (see stoichiometry ) and no atom is wasted. Recent developments like high raw material (such as petrochemicals) costs and increased sensitivity to environmental concerns have made atom economical approaches more popular. Atom economy is an important concept of green chemistry philosophy. It is a beautiful proof of how nature naturally is at the very bottom of it. It's a rule even we follow at some time too.

Catalyst of the week - Nickel

We live among a lot of products utilizing Catalysts - even for the food we eat. One of the most obvious applications of catalysis is the hydrogenation (reaction with hydrogen gas) of fats using nickel catalyst to produce margarine.

So hereby introducing the Catalyst of the week - Nickel

General properties
Name, symbol, number
nickel, Ni, 28
Element category
transition metal
Group, period, block
10, 4, d
Standard atomic weight
58.6934(2) g·mol−1
Electron configuration
[Ar] 4s1 3d9
Electrons per shell
2, 8, 17, 1 (Image)
Physical properties
Phase
solid
Density (near r.t.)
8.908 g·cm−3
Liquid density at m.p.
7.81 g·cm−3
Melting point
1728 K, 1453 °C, 2651 °F
Boiling point
3186 K, 2732 °C, 5275 °F
Heat of fusion
17.48 kJ·mol−1
Heat of vaporization
377.5 kJ·mol−1
Specific heat capacity
(25 °C) 26.07 J·mol−1·K−1
Vapor pressure
P/Pa
1
10
100
1 k
10 k
100 k
at T/K
1783
1950
2154
2410
2741
3184
Atomic properties
Oxidation states
4[1], 3, 2, 1 [2], -1(mildly basic oxide)
Electronegativity
1.91 (Pauling scale)
Ionization energies(more)
1st: 737.1 kJ·mol−1
2nd: 1753.0 kJ·mol−1
3rd: 3395 kJ·mol−1
Atomic radius
124 pm
Covalent radius
124±4 pm
Van der Waals radius
163 pm
Miscellanea
Crystal structure
face-centered cubic
Magnetic ordering
ferromagnetic
Electrical resistivity
(20 °C) 69.3 nΩ·m
Thermal conductivity
(300 K) 90.9 W·m−1·K−1
Thermal expansion
(25 °C) 13.4 µm·m−1·K−1
Speed of sound (thin rod)
(r.t.) 4900 m·s−1
Young's modulus
200 GPa
Shear modulus
76 GPa
Bulk modulus
180 GPa
Poisson ratio
0.31
Mohs hardness
4.0
Vickers hardness
638 MPa
Brinell hardness
700 MPa
CAS registry number
7440-02-0
Most stable isotopes
Main article: Isotopes of nickel
iso
NA
half-life
DM
DE (MeV)
DP
56Ni
syn
6.075 d
ε
-
56Co
γ
0.158, 0.811
-
58Ni
68.077%
58Ni is stable with 30 neutrons
59Ni
trace
76000 y
ε
-
59Co
60Ni
26.233%
60Ni is stable with 32 neutrons
61Ni
1.14%
61Ni is stable with 33 neutrons
62Ni
3.634%
62Ni is stable with 34 neutrons
63Ni
syn
100.1 y
β−
0.0669
63Cu
64Ni
0.926%
64Ni is stable with 36 neutrons

The following part was especially interesting to me.

'In 1916, the American chemist Gilbert Newton Lewis proposed that chemical bonds are formed between atoms because electrons from the atoms interact with each other. Lewis had observed that many elements are most stable when they contain eight electrons in their valence shell.'

According to I-ching, every phenomenon can be explained by Ba-gua. Ba means eight because that is the most stable number for every interaction to be taken place of.

Below is an introduction of Ba-gua.

The ba gua (Chinese: 八卦; pinyin: bā guà; Wade-Giles: pa kua; literally "eight symbols") are eight diagrams used in Taoist cosmology to represent the fundamental principles of reality, seen as a range of eight interrelated concepts. Each consists of three lines, each either "broken" or "unbroken," representing a yin line or a yang line, respectively. Due to their tripartite structure, they are often referred to as "trigrams" in English.
The trigrams are related to taiji philosophy and the wu xing, or "five elements" . The relationships between the trigrams are represented in two arrangements, the Primordial (先天八卦), "Earlier Heaven" or "Fuxi" bagua (伏羲八卦), and the Manifested (後天八卦), "Later Heaven," or "King Wen" bagua. The trigrams have correspondences in astronomy, astrology, geography, geomancy, anatomy, the family, and elsewhere. The ancient Chinese classic I Ching consists of all 64 possible pairs of trigrams (called "hexagrams") and commentary on them.
The eight trigrams are:
☰ Qián (Tian1) 天 "Heaven"
☱ Duì (Ze2) 澤(泽) "Lake/Marsh"
☲ Lí (Huo3) 火 "Fire"
☳ Zhèn (Lei2) 雷 "Thunder"
☴ Xùn (Feng1) 風(风) "Wind"
☵ Kǎn (Shui3) 水 "Water"
☶ Gèn (Shan1) 山 "Mountain"
☷ Kūn (Di4) 地 "Earth"
Relation to other Principles

The eight trigrams of the bagua (King Wen "Later Heaven" order).
There are two possible sources of bagua: The first is from traditional Yin and Yang philosophy. The interrelationships of this philosophy were described by Fuxi in the following way:
無極生有極、有極是太極、太極生兩儀、即陰陽;兩儀生四象: 即少陰、太陰、少陽、太陽、四象演八卦、八八六十四卦The Limitless (Wuji) produces the delimited, and this is the Absolute (Taiji)The Taiji produces two forms, named yin and yangThe two forms produce four phenomena, named lesser yin, great yin (taiyin also means the Moon), lesser yang, great yang (taiyang also means the Sun).The four phenomena act on the eight trigrams (ba gua), eight eights are sixty-four hexagrams.
Another philosophical description of the source is the following, attributed to King Wen of the Zhou Dynasty: "When the world began, there was heaven and earth. Heaven mated with the earth and gave birth to everything in the world. Heaven is Qian-gua, and the Earth is Kun-gua. The remaining six gua are their sons and daughters".
The trigrams are related to the five elements of wu xing, used by feng shui practitioners and in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Those five elements are metal, fire, earth, wood, and water. The Water (Kan) and Fire (Li) trigrams correspond directly with the Water and Fire elements. The element of Earth corresponds with both the trigrams of Earth (Kun) and Mountain (Gen). The element of Wood corresponds with the trigrams of Wind (Xun) (as a gentle but inexorable force that can erode and penetrate stone) and Thunder (Zhen). The element of Metal corresponds with the trigrams of Heaven (Qian) and Lake (Dui).

Pre-King Wen "Earlier Heaven" order
卦名Name
自然Nature
Season
性情Personality
家族Family
方位Direction
意義Meaning
乾 Qián
天 Heaven
Summer
Creative
父 Father
南 South
Expansive energy, the sky.
巽 Xùn
風 Wind
Summer
Gentle
長女 Eldest Daughter
西南 Southwest
Gentle penetration, flexibility.
坎 Kǎn
水 Water
Autumn
Abysmal
中男 Middle Son
西 West
Danger, rapid rivers, the abyss, the moon.
艮Gèn
山 Mountain
Autumn
Still
少男 Youngest Son
西北 Northwest
Stillness, immovability.
坤Kūn
地 Earth
Winter
Receptive
母 Mother
北 North
Receptive energy, that which yields.
震Zhèn
雷 Thunder
Winter
Arousing
長男 Eldest Son
東北 Northeast
Excitation, revolution, division.
離Lí
火 Fire
Spring
Clinging
中女 Middle Daughter
東 East
Rapid movement, radiance, the sun.
兌Duì
澤 Lake
Spring
Joyous
少女 Youngest Daughter
東南 Southeast
Joy, satisfaction, stagnation.
King Wen "Later Heaven"

Bagua with name and nature (King Wen "Later Heaven" order)
卦名Name
自然Nature
Season
性情Personality
家族Family
方位Direction
意義Meaning
離Li
火 Fire*
Summer
Clinging
中女 Middle Daughter
南 South
Rapid movement, radiance, the sun.
坤Kun
地 Earth*
Summer
Receptive
母 Mother
西南 Southwest
Receptive energy, that which yields.
兌Dui
澤 Lake
Autumn
Joyous
少女 Youngest Daughter
西 West
Joy, satisfaction, stagnation.
乾Qian
天 Heaven
Autumn
Creative
父 Father
西北 Northwest
Expansive energy, the sky.
坎Kan
水 Water*
Winter
Abysmal
中男 Middle Son
北 North
Danger, rapid rivers, the abyss, the moon.
艮Gen
山 Mountain
Winter
Still
少男 Youngest Son
東北 Northeast
Stillness, immovability.
震Zhen
雷 Thunder
Spring
Arousing
長男 Eldest Son
東 East
Excitation, revolution, division.
巽Xun
風 Wind
Spring
Gentle
長女 Eldest Daughter
東南 Southeast
Gentle penetration, flexibility.
Bagua used in Feng Shui
The Bagua is an essential tool in the majority of Feng Shui schools. The Bagua used in Feng shui can appear in two different versions: the Earlier Heaven Bagua, used for burial sites and the Later Heaven Bagua, used for the residences.
Xiantian Bagua or Earlier Heaven Bagua
In Xiantian Bagua, also known as Fu Xi (2852 - 2737 BCE) Bagua, the Heaven is in the higher part and the Earth is in the lower part. The trigram Qian (Heaven) is at the top, in the South (in the past, the South was located at the top in Chinese maps), and Kun (Earth) at the bottom, in the North. Li (Fire) and Kan (Water) on the left and on the right-hand side form a pair. Zhen (Thunder) and Xun (Wind) form another pair, while being one opposite the other. Gen (Mountain) and Dui (Lake) form another pair, while being one opposite the other, in balance and harmony. The adjustment of the trigrams is symmetrical by forming exact contrary pairs. They symbolize the opposite forces of Yin and Yang and represent an ideal state, when everything is in balance.
Houtian Bagua or Later Heaven Bagua
The sequence of the trigrams in Houtian Bagua, also known as the Bagua of King Wen (1099 - 1055 BCE), describes the patterns of the environmental changes. Kan is placed downwards and Li at the top, Zhen in the East and Dui in the West. Contrary to the Earlier Heaven Bagua, this one is a dynamic Bagua where energies and the aspects of each trigram flow towards the following. It is the sequence used by the Luo Pan compass which is used in Feng Shui to analyze the movement of the Qi that affects us.
Bagua of the eight aspirations – also called Bagua Map
Feng Shui was made very popular in the Occident thanks to the Bagua of the eight aspirations. Each trigram corresponds to an aspect of life which, in its turn, corresponds to one of the cardinal directions. Applying Feng Shui using the Bagua of the eight aspirations made it possible to simplify Feng Shui and to bring it within the reach of everyone. The Masters of Traditional Feng Shui call it Neo Feng Shui or Mc Feng Shui, for its simplicity, because it does not take into account the forms of the landscape or the temporal influence or the annual cycles. The Bagua of the eight aspirations is divided into two branches: the first, which uses the compass and cardinal directions, and the second, which uses the Bagua by using the main door. It is clear that, not taking into account the cardinal directions, the second is even more simplified without any sense.

Bagua map
A bagua map is a tool used in modern forms of feng shui to map a room or location and see how the different sections correspond to different aspects in one's life. These sections are believed to relate to every area or aspect of life and are divided into such categories as fame, relationships/marriage, children/creativity, helpful people/travel, career, inner knowledge, family/ancestors/health, and wealth/blessings.
In this system, the map is intended to be used over the land, one's home, office or desk to find areas lacking good chi, and to show where there are negative or missing spaces that may need rectifying or enhancing in life or the environment.
For example, if the bagua grid is placed over the entire house plan and it shows the toilet, bathroom, laundry, or kitchen in the wealth/blessings area it would be considered that the money coming into that particular environment would disappear very fast, as if to be 'going down the drain.

In popular culture

A Tibetan "Mystic Tablet" containing the Eight Trigrams on top of a large tortoise (presumably, alluding to the animal that presented them to Fu Xi), along with the 12 signs of Chinese Zodiac, and a smaller tortoise carrying the Lo Shu Square on its shell
The Unicode character set has characters for each of the eight trigrams at codepoints U+2630 to U+2637:[5] ☰☱☲☳☴☵☶☷
In the cartoon Jackie Chan Adventures, the trigrams are each written on a face of the Pan Ku Box.
The creators of the television series Lost incorporated the bagua symbol into the logos for the DHARMA Initiative stations found on and off the island.
In the anime/manga Naruto, the clan known as the Hyuga clan uses combat based on the Eight Trigrams, with their main attack called the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, involving a series of heavy strikes into pressure points on the opponent's body, or as a means of fast weaker attacks against many opponents.
In the anime Cowboy Bebop, episode titled Boogie Woogie Feng Shui, the device that Maefa uses with the Sunstone contains trigrams from the Bagua, shaped in a Octagon that has a gyroscopic outer and inner ring. The device was used as a MacGuffin of sorts to get Maefa and Jet Black out of trouble. This would be in contrast to the Sunstone, which functions more as a Plot coupon: it not only powered the device, but was destroyed with a single shot from Spike's Swordfish II and opened a rift in hyperspace to provide a resolution to the story.
In the anime/manga Outlaw Star, there is a form of energy called Tao Magic which is employed extensively by the Kei Pirates. There is a somewhat obscure bagua reference near the end of the series when the Kei Pirate Hazanko constructs a method to force the Galactic Leyline open. When the method is completed, a giant bagua-like shape appears in space with the Leyline as the center just before the way inside is opened.
The map is also seen briefly in Quest mode of the popular video game Tao Feng: Fist of the white Lotus
The 8 Diagrams, an album released by The Wu-Tang Clan in 2007, features an adaptation of the Bagua map on its cover. The title of the album itself is a reference to the eight trigrams that are found around the outside of the map

Discussion Question

Covalent Bond Types are eating in a Restaurant. Does this image help?

Yes. Covalent Bonding, a form of chemical bonding the attraction-to-repulsion stability that forms between atoms when they share electrons. The prefix co- means jointly, associated in action, partnered to a lesser degree, etc.; thus a "co-valent bond", essentially, means that the atoms share "valence". I think it describes a beautiful image of sharing and the bustling image of the restaurant matches the images of shared electrons well too.

Transitional Metal of the Week

• Zinc (pronounced Zink)
• also known as spelter
• The symbol Zn
• Atomic Number 30
• Atomic Mass 65
• Number of electrons and protons 30
• Number of neutrons 35
• Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to Magnesium because its ion is of similar size
• Zinc is the 24th most abundant element in the Earth's crust
• Brass, which is an alloy of copper and zinc, has been used since at least the 10th century BC
• Impure zinc metal was not produced in large scale until the 13th century in India, while the metal was unknown to Europe until the end of the 16th century.
• Corrosion-resistant zinc plating of steel is the major application for zinc. Other applications are in batteries and alloys, such as brass
• Zinc is an essential mineral of "exceptional biologic and public health importance". Zinc deficiency affects about two billion people in the developing world and is associated with many diseases. In children it causes growth retardation, delayed sexual maturation, infection susceptibility, and diarrhea, contributing to the death of about 800,000 children worldwide per year. Consumption of excess zinc can cause ataxia, lethergy and copper deficiency.

Mercury

Mercury

• The other name of Mercury is quicksilver or hydrargyrum (meaning watery silver)
• Mercury's symbol is Hg
• Atomic number is 80. It has 80 Protons and 80 Electrons. It's Atomic mass is 201. Therefore, the Number of Neutrons is 121.
• Heavy, silvery d-block metal
• One of six chemical elements that are liquid at or near room temperature and pressure.
• The only metal that is liquid at standard conditions for termperature and pressure with a melting point of −38.83 °C and boiling point of 356.73 °C, mercury has one of the narrowest ranges of its liquid state of any metal.
• Mercury poisoning can occur by inhalation of mercury vapor, or eating fish contaminated with mercury.
• Used in thermometers, barometers, manometers and other scientific apparatus, It remains in use in a number of other ways in scientific and scientific research applications, and in amalgam material for dental restoration. It is used in lighting; electricity passed through mercury vapor in a phosphor tube produces short-wave ultraviolet light which then causes the phosphor to fluoresce making visible light.

Element's Compounds and Mixture's

I think ultimately all fields include classification. However, it is fascinating that everything whatever the shape , color, smell is :) all matter can be classified according to it's composition. Everything ~ !!! :) Actually, I recollected what my father always says. ' What you are made of never changes. ' (It's my father's way to say what kind of person that person is never changes. ) Although the phases the matter is in the ultimate composition doesn't change. For example, water, ice is totally different but they are all H2O. So this classification is an efficient and smart way to define things.

Natural Resources Defense council's List of levels of Mercury Fish

LEAST MERCURY
Enjoy these fish:
Anchovies
Butterfish
Catfish
Clam
Crab (Domestic)
Crawfish/CrayfishCroaker (Atlantic)
Flounder*
Haddock (Atlantic)*
Hake
Herring
Mackerel (N. Atlantic, Chub)
Mullet
Oyster
Perch (Ocean)
PlaicePollockSalmon (Canned)**
Salmon (Fresh)**
Sardine
Scallop*
Shad (American)
Shrimp*
Sole (Pacific)
Squid (Calamari)
Tilapia
Trout (Freshwater)
Whitefish
Whiting


MODERATE MERCURY - Eat six servings or less per month :
Bass (Striped, Black)
CarpCod (Alaskan)*
Croaker (White Pacific)
Halibut (Atlantic)*
Halibut (Pacific)
Jacksmelt(Silverside)
Lobster
Mahi Mahi
Monkfish*
Perch (Freshwater)
Sablefish
Skate*
Snapper*
Tuna (Cannedchunk light)
Tuna (Skipjack)*
Weakfish (Sea Trout)


HIGH MERCURY - Eat three servings or less per month :
Bluefish
Grouper*
Mackerel (Spanish, Gulf)
Sea Bass (Chilean)*
Tuna (Canned Albacore)
Tuna (Yellowfin)*


HIGHEST MERCURY - Avoid eating :
Mackerel (King) Marlin*
Orange Roughy*
Shark*
Swordfish*
Tilefish*
Tuna(Bigeye, Ahi)*

Mercury

Mercury is my " Element of the week " and now this element is being a big issue. Below is an article of a research done from Chicago Tribune and Rutgers University about Mercury found in fish.

The next time you start to order a tuna sandwich for lunch or a swordfish steak as your dinner entrée, give some thought to a research study by the Chicago Tribune and Rutgers University, which shows that commercial seafood contains much higher levels of mercury than most people suspect.
The Health Risks of Mercury in SeafoodMercury is a highly toxic heavy metal that can damage the central nervous system of children and unborn fetuses, slowing development of walking and talking and decreasing memory and attention span. Adults may experience headaches, fatigue, lack of concentration, and numbness in their hands and feet. According to the newspaper, some studies suggest that men may face an increased risk of heart attack.
The investigation by the Tribune also found that government regulators and the seafood industry are doing little to protect public health and, in fact, have been placing consumers at risk for decades by “knowingly allowing millions of Americans to eat seafood with unsafe levels of mercury.”
Government Downplays Dangers of Mercury in SeafoodThrough extensive interviews and a review of government records, the newspaper discovered that “regulators have repeatedly downplayed the hazards, failed to take basic steps to protect public health and misled consumers about the true dangers” of eating seafood containing mercury.
According to the Tribune the government does not confiscate fish that exceed U.S. mercury limits, and regulators don’t regularly inspect seafood for mercury at any point between the boat and the dinner plate. For example, the newspaper found that the government has tested only four walleye and 24 shrimp samples since 1978. As a result, federal officials have only a limited idea of how much mercury most species contain.
Mercury is now pervasive in all of the world’s oceans, lakes and streams, deposited there by air pollution, and all fish contain some level of the toxic substance, so it is virtually impossible to eat fish without ingesting some mercury.
Eating Fish is Good for YouAt the same time, medical experts agree that eating seafood is good for most people, because it carries many health benefits. Seafood is a low-fat source of protein. Some fish, such as salmon, are rich in omega-3 acids, which promote good health and help to prevent heart disease. Largely as a result of that message, per capita seafood consumption in the U.S. is at an all-time high.
So, how can consumers get the health benefits of seafood without the placing themselves at high risk of mercury contamination? The first step is to understand how mercury accumulates in fish.
How Does Mercury Accumulate in Fish?Mercury is released into the air as a byproduct of certain industrial processes. From there, it ends up in oceans, lakes and water, sometimes drifting thousands of miles before descending. This makes mercury a global environmental problem, because a factory Asia or Europe could contaminate a lake in the U.S., or vice versa.
Once mercury enters the water, bacteria there chemically alter the mercury, creating a highly toxic substance called methylmercury. Small fish eat or absorb the methylmercury and are eaten in turn by bigger fish, which are then eaten by even bigger fish. As mercury moves up the food chain, it accumulates. As a result, larger predator fish, such as sharks and swordfish, tend to contain higher levels of mercury than salmon and other fish farther down the food chain.

Meaning of Alchemy

I found that the meaning of Alchemy was " Yearning " so fascinating. Yes I guess to make something ( especially something precious like gold ) " Yearning " would be the way that makes it happen. :) Let's Yearn on ~ *

What Carbon Neutral will signify for our planet.

When we go to a National park it is prohibited to take away anything or litter. I believe we need to extend this to our whole world. Whatever came the earth should go back to the earth and of course in the other way, it's natural when what goes back to earth come from earth. That would signify our planet is back in it's natural cycle, in the natural eco-cycle.

The results from the quiz

I got all right but the coffee question. Mmmm...... not pure ....... yes suppose so. But we read 100 % coffee on the label all the time :) I laughed when I saw the burning wood question. There is a joke in Korea of that what would a Chemistry major do if you give a Yellow page phone book and the answer was burn it. Another one was what would a Medical student do and the answer was memorize it.

Are we likely to see a shift to electric cars over the coming years ?

Not likely. First, to do so the government would have to people out of their conventional car comfort zone with laws and regulations but I guess the government is also more interested in reviving the conventional cars more than the electrical cars. Also, related with this the government would be pressured by oil countries which would not wan't a shift to electric cars since this would decrese their sales. Overall, if there is to be a shift to electric cars over the coming years I guess the people would have to really yearn and build a craze over electric cars but it seems to be that people are more comfortable with conventional cars more than electric cars.

Should there be more effective control of the pharmaceutical industry ?

Of course they should. The problem is the people who can make that possible are quite not likely to make a change and come up with a more effective control over the pharmaceutical industry. The doctors would like the treats the pharmaceutical industry provides they would like to have more if possible. The government doesn't seem to likely provide a more effective control of the pharmaceutical industry. However, in spite of all these difficulties, I believe there should be more effective control of the pharmaceutical industry. Given the fact that so many people in this country rely their health on the products the pharmaceutical industry provides the influence the pharmaceutical industry could affect our country's people is enormous. We often see a lot of people popping all sorts of drugs and these chemical substances are kept on consumed by these people often the case their whole lives. These chemical drugs are dictating the way and quality of many peoples lives. To keep this to the most minimum and controlling the pharmaceutical industry to use chemicals that wouldn't harm the person's overall health and also by all means stop the pharmaceutical industry manipulate doctor's to overdose these chemical drugs to people are a crucial must do.