History

Online Activity: Chemical Kinetics and the “Radium Girls”

Dean Campbell | Mon, 12/20/2021 - 12:17

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The classic classroom or lab activity using coin flips to illustrate the first order kinetics of radioactive decay is connected to the tragedy of radiation exposure of workers at facilities using radium-containing luminescent paint. Some of the chemistry related to the contamination of these “radium girls” is explored, with connections being made to the Principles of Green Chemistry and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The Bannock War of 1878, Camas, and Inulin: How Chemistry Adds Context to a Historical Event

Scott Donnelly | Mon, 06/14/2021 - 13:25

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What does a recent visit to Fort Bridger State Historic Park in southwestern Wyoming, a plant similar to an onion, and an armed conflict between Native Americans and the US government have anything to do with chemistry? Much. Check it out here.

Especially JCE: September 2019

Erica Jacobsen | Thu, 09/19/2019 - 19:19

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Erica Jacobsen shares highlights from the September 2019 issue of the Journal of Chemical Education of special interest to our ChemEd X community.

The Periodic Table: A Very Short Introduction

Hal Harris | Fri, 08/30/2019 - 02:00

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Chemists tend to think of the Table as an old friend– reliable and static, but that is not the whole story. Piqued your interest? Click on the title to sate your curiosity.

The Inexplicable Beauty of Michael Faraday's Chemical History of a Candle Lectures

Scott Donnelly | Tue, 05/07/2019 - 16:08

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Bill Hammack, Michael Faraday, and the timeless beauty of the science behind the combustion of a candle. "There is no more open door by which you can enter into the study of science than by considering the physical phenomena of a candle," Michael Faraday.

The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women by Kate Moore

Maria Gallardo-... | Sun, 10/14/2018 - 12:51

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Radium Girls is one of those books that can’t be put down. It challenges us with imagery so vivid that sometimes you just want to look away, but you are so invested in the lives of the girls that you persevere to the end. It is tragic and strong but also hopeful and tender.

Review of Element in the Room

Hal Harris | Sat, 10/06/2018 - 09:10

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The Festival of the Spoken Nerd is a trio of comedians who work in comedy clubs in the UK, using material based on science and math. From the routines and jokes developed for their shows, two of the three members of the group have distilled “The Element in the Room”.

Archaeological Pottery - An Inquiry-based Laboratory Activity

Linda Ford | Wed, 08/08/2018 - 11:41

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Are you up for trying an ambitious experiment that combines archeology, instrumental analysis, and a search for patterns in data? Then this activity might fit the bill!

2019 International Year of the Periodic Table Timeline of Elements

Jean Hein | Tue, 06/12/2018 - 23:04

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The University of Waterloo is doing another collaborative project! If you missed out on participating in our 2011 Periodic Table Project, this is your opportunity to have your students celebrate and be part of a worldwide initiative.

Book Suggestion: The Alchemy of Air

Lowell Thomson | Fri, 01/05/2018 - 03:08

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One of my goals for 2017 was to read more chemistry non-fiction. I accomplished that with three and a half books read. That doesn't seem like much, but given how busy I've been lately it was quite an accomplishment! I offer a brief review of my most recent book here, "The Alchemy of Air" by Thomas Hager.