PERIODIC TABLES

element of the week:

Au
atomic number: 79
atomic mass: 196.96655
gold, that noble substance that alchemists coveted was considered the highest evolved metal. from the alchemical point of view all metals are in a constant evolutionary state (just as organisms are). gold is the final development in the mineral kingdom. from there 'spirit' evolves to the plant kingdom, and then to the animal kingdom for further evolution. gold corresponds to the sun and is divine. it is the mineral equivalent of an adept. one can gain an intuitive understanding of this presence if he holds a gold coin when the sun is high and meditates upon its virtues.

discussion of ozone with family and friends:

i was not surprised to find out that most of the people i spoke to did not regard it as an issue anymore. the news has not been talking much about the issue for a number of years. people remember the issue but are not concerned about it. there is much more discussion about the war, global warming, and gas prices. i believe this illustrates the power of the press and the dangers of media conglomeration. once i told them that global warming could have a hand in ozone layer depletion then they had a bit more interest in the subject.

elements, compounds and mixtures

i liked the microscopic views that were presented. the explanations were concise and easily understandable. i would have found it more interesting had there been a bit more expansion of the characteristics of each. i find it interesting when emotional or psychological phenomena are explained by analogy through chemical terminology and wish this would have been somewhere included.