Francium

I've talked about writing this post for awhile, so I'm happy to finally get some time to sit down and type! I saw this article back in November while perusing the NY Times and have read it what seems like a billion times since. The article delves into President Obama's recent announcement that he would like to see higher education produce 10,000 more engineers and 100,000 new STEM (science-technology-engineering-math) teachers in the very near future. It's certainly a great proposal, but here are some speed bumps:

College attrition rates. For students who are interested in the sciences, approximately 40% switch their major. Toss in pre-med students and that 40% dropout rate rises to 60%. Some of this can certainly be attributed to a lack of preparation in high school, but much of it comes from the stress of pursuing a science degree, especially at schools where science majors see their social science and humanities friends' grades inflated. Math and science majors are known for having the lowest grade point averages and it's not because we're stupid/lazy - it's because most science and math questions have a clear-cut answer. Blowing up a lab is not an art form - it's a problematic error.

With science comes math. It seems like a very simple statement, doesn't it? And to most science majors, it's pretty obvious. But what is scary is that people still don't seem to understand science and math's inherent coupling. Without Newton and calculus, there would be no physics. Without physics, no chemistry. Without chemistry, no biology. The cycle continues, but the most important part is that science boils down to being applied mathematics. People like numbers (for the most part), so when seemingly  interesting phenomenon arise, we seek to answer those questions with numbers. And with those numbers, explanations are needed, thus the quantitative and qualitative nature of science.

(NY Times multimedia image)

To paint a picture of why this article has been so alluring to me for some time, look at the graphic above. If we are in the "technology era" how is it that only 2.4% of bachelor's degrees are computer science related? And why has this number been declining since the early 2000s?

I recently asked my students if they knew how much science affected them and they scoffed at me...it took me a lot of mental persuading to not start on a diatribe about how their smart phones and iPods and computers are all related to science. We chalk these things up to "advances in technology" but what that really means is scientific experimentation and discovery (sorry if that comes as a surprise). The next time a pair of ear buds for your iPod breaks, take some time to cut those puppies apart - there is a reason why copper is the wire of choice for transmitting sound from the iPod to your ears, but could you explain why that is? (Guess what - some of my students can.)


Fun Fact: If a solid block of francium could be produced (nearly impossible if you were wondering), it would evaporate itself in a violent radioactive reaction.

Cesium

If you have time to watch this tomorrow, check it out! MSNBC is doing a spotlight on schools and this particular segment is focusing on Detroit Public Schools (DPS) and its current situation. Much of DPS is being turned over to charter schools with the hopes that the school system will pull itself out of the mud (most schools are failing and are running under capacity). And guess what? I'll be there!! So try and find me in the giant crowd of students, teachers, future teachers, politicians, and people who care about education!


Chemistry Joke: Q: What do you do with a dead chemist?
                           A: ??? (To be revealed tomorrow)

Fun Fact: Atomic clocks measure time using cesium-133 atoms. The clocks are so accurate that if the atomic clock in Boulder, CO had been built by dinosaurs 70 million years ago (imagine: T-Rex in a hard hat), it would be off by less than a second today!

Rubidium

Happy National Ice Cream Day! If it's as hot as it is in Ann Arbor, they you most certainly deserve an ice cream cone! (And if it's not, then get one anyway - you have a great excuse).

Common Occurrences: Rubidium has few uses but it is found in fireworks and atomic clocks.

Fun Fact: The names for rubidium and rubies are derived from the Latin term for red but rubidium and rubies are not related. Rubies were named for their red hue (which comes from chromium) while rubidium was named for its signature red spectral line. Rubidium does have a tie to a color: it provides the purple hues in fireworks.

Potassium

You've heard about sodium in water (for those of you that haven't, here's a hint: KABOOM!), but did you know that potassium also violently reacts with water? Potassium is highly reactive and to demonstrate, check out what happens to this poor gummy bear when exposed to potassium chlorate:

I've seen this done two or three times in person and watched it online a zillion times and it just never gets old.

As for stories from the Midwest, I do have a funny. I've been told that by moving out to the Midwest, I was going to be exposed to the "marriage virus" where people inexplicably meet and settle down...apparently it's the "Midwest thing." Don't get me wrong, there are certainly gorgeous guys here, many of whom (who? whom?) run shirtless or ride tricked out road bikes. However, my only interactions with men have been men in their late forties or men lacking teeth (here's to being a trophy wife...I guess).

While walking to the Artisan's Market (Farmer's Market minus the food plus the crafts), a man in his late forties let me pet his dog. Mind you the dog was ugly, but it was a puppy and it went gangbusters sniffing my ankle so I gave it a pat. Without even uttering a word to the man, he goes into this five minute lecture about the dog. I wanted to be like "really sir, I don't care," but as I've learned "Midwest etiquette" (listen, smile, nod, and then say something kind), I faked a smile and told him the dog was a real gem.

At the Artisan's Market, I headed toward the wooden spoon guy who was toting left-handed spoons. My curiosity was killing me: what the h*** is a left handed spoon and how does it make any difference? Apparently it does. But in my haste to get there, I got snagged by a little old man lacking most of his teeth who decided that he would sell me a candle. No way, Jose. Not falling for your "lure the young girl in" tactics. Needless to say, after smelling about 10 candles, I got away with my life and my wallet full.

Here's to you "marriage virus." Is there a vaccine?


Fun Fact: Bananas are radioactive (KEEP READING). Bananas contain potassium, which has a radioactive isotope (same number of protons, different number of neutrons). BUT only one hundredth of one percent of ALL potassium atoms are radioactive. Bottom line: keep eating bananas.

Sodium

The next few days will be pretty hectic, so I can't promise too many posts. As for today, nothing too exciting. I got my car checked over for the second time before leaving after a mysterious squealing noise appeared yesterday. I'm starting to think paranoia is setting in because the mechanics couldn't find anything wrong minus a small bit of power steering fluid needed.

Google has kindly informed me of a total lunar eclipse that took place today, so I suggest you check it out to read about it. It's really cool, you won't regret it. Though not specifically chemistry, it's still science-y, which I will always promote. More chemistry related, it's the 259th anniversary of Ben Franklin discovering electricity!


Trivia Answer: Lithium and sodium are the only two metals that can float on water, though both violently react with it.

Fun Fact: Pure elemental sodium (metal) is so soft it can be cut with a butter knife.

Lithium

So I have nothing new and exciting to share from the home turf, my apologies. So in an attempt to make science super cool and interesting, I thought I would take some time to blog about the title element for today: lithium.

As you'll notice from the trivia question below, lithium is a pretty interesting metal. It is also widely used in everyday life; it is found in rechargeable batteries and hybrid/electric cars. But with our increasing concerns about global warming and fossil fuel consumption, lithium has become a popular topic in the news. With a new "race for lithium" the U.S. is trying to acquire lithium to keep up with the electric and hybrid car market surging in Asia (cough...Prius...cough).

Here's the kicker: if electric cars are to take off for real this time (recall the documentary Who Killed the Electric Car?), then the U.S. will become dependent on lithium reserves in South America (doesn't that sound eerily familiar to our current dependency on foreign oil?). Over half of the lithium reserves are found in Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. As for the U.S., there is a small reserve in Nevada, but that's about it.

Something crazy to think about. Possibly something to bring up the next time someone groans that there is nothing interesting about science or that science is unrelated to the "real world."

P. S. I hope you enjoy the links in the article...I think I got a bit too soapbox-y, but this was a super cool topic to write about!


Trivia: There are only two metals that can float on water. Can you guess which ones? (Hint: You'll find out the answer in post #11).

Fun Fact: While lithium is most commonly known for rechargeable batteries, it is also used as medication to control mood swings in individuals with bipolar disorder (in an attempt to not lead you astray, the pills are composed of lithium carbonate so don't go chomp on a piece of lithium metal if you're feeling moody :) ).