To date, 118 chemical elements have been found. Professor Mario Markus, Max Planck Institute for Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany, takes a look at each element, presenting a poem based on its natural properties along with a scientific overview of each element.
All 118 poems – in addition to some poems about elements that only exist in theoretical simulations – are published in the book Chemical Poems: One On Each Element by Mario Markus. ChemViews magazine presents a selection of these poems over the next months.
Lithium |
Lithium |
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Soft, silvery-gray metal. It was discovered by the Swede Johan Arfvedson in 1817. The name comes from the Greek word lithos meaning “stone”. It is the lightest solid element and its density (0.53 g/cm³) is about half that of water. This fact makes it suitable for alloys, mostly with aluminum, used in the construction of airplanes, high-speed trains and bicycles.
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The grave of the feeble breath
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Professor Mario Markus
Max Planck Institute for Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany.
www.mariomarkus.com
Professor Mario Markus
Max Planck Institute for Molecular Physiology, Dortmund, Germany.
www.mariomarkus.com
Chemical Poems – One On Each Element,
Mario Markus,
Dos Madres Press 2013.
ISBN: 978-1-933675-98-5
Perfectbound, 308 pages, English, $30
Interview with Mario Markus: , Poetry and Chemistry
ChemViews magazine 2013.
DOI: 10.1002/chemv.201300010
The poems have also been published in German in:
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