Andrea+Henry

Despite the world around us being filled with chemistry, I never really think about how chemistry can be applied to our everyday lives. I find it quite interesting that something as simple as our football field could have so much science applied to it. I was quite surprised to learn that AstroTurf can 'sweat' and that it actually presents a greater risk of infection than the old fashioned grass fields. Although it makes sense, these are things that I never would have considered. The sweating of the field also could apply to this class as we are currently studying thermochemistry.

10/29/08 I read the article on the solar-hydrogen powered house. I thought that the whole concept was fascinating. Not only is Strizki cutting down on his personal energy costs, but he is better working with the environment. I think that society as a whole will start moving in this direction in upcoming years due to concerns about energy costs and the environment. I had not previously known that hydrogen could effectively be used as an energy source. It all definitely relates to our class, but what I found especially relevent was the geothermal heat that Strizki was utilizing in heating and cooling his home. This article may show a small glimpse of the future!

Einstein's Miracle Year Einstein was truly one of a kind. How anyone could figure things out the way he did astounds me. The part of the article that discussed the relativity of time interested me the most. I had heard the phrase 'time is relative' thrown around before but never really knew what they were talking about. To think that everything we see happened in the past is really quite strange, it's a bit like your eyes are lying to your brain. It still is a bit hard for me to comprehend the whole thing but without a doubt, Einstein knows better than myself.

11/25/08- The Many Looks of the Periodic Table Call me old fashioned, but I like the periodic table just the way it is. Sure there are some flaws, but anyone who is educated beyond the first day of their first chemistry class already knows that hydrogen is just a little different than the other elements in its proximity. I understand that they are searching for more effective ways to portray the table, but I don’t think the Periodic Spiral is the way to go. It scares me (a lot). This is probably just because I am so used to the periodic table the way it is; as humans we are often drawn towards the familiar. However, the Chemical Galaxy is quite interesting. It looks more like art than a scientific arrangement, but it is fascinating to look at. I will be interested to see what other ideas they come up with in the future!