Serving Spoon
Tuesday, June 21st, 2011Serving Spoon
The Disappearing Spoon Chapters
Science magazine reporter Kean views the periodic table as one of the great achievements of humankind, "an anthropological marvel," full of stories about our connection with the physical world.Grab A Copy Click here Funny, even chilling tales are associated with each element, and Kean relates many. The title refers to gallium (Ga, 31), which melts at 84??F, prompting a practical joke among "chemical cognoscenti": shape gallium into spoons, "serve them with tea, and watch as your guests recoil when their Earl Grey ?eats? their utensils." Along with Dmitri Mendeleyev, the father of the periodic table, Kean is in his element as he presents a parade of entertaining anecdotes about scientists (mad and otherwise) while covering such topics as thallium (Tl, 81) poisoning, the invention of the silicon (Si, 14) transistor, and how the ruthenium (Ru, 44) fountain pen point made million for the Parker company. With a constant flow of fun facts bubbling to the surface, Kean writes with wit, flair, and authority in a debut that will delight even general readers. 10 b&w illus. Grab A Copy Click here
Like big-game hunters, scientists who stalked an undiscovered element courted peril: Marie Curie and Enrico Fermi both died from exposure to dangerous elements in the course of their experiments. But besides them and Dmitri Mendeleev, the deviser of the periodic table, which looms over science classrooms everywhere, few discoverers of the elements occupy the consciousness of even avid science readers. Kean rectifies that in this amble from element 1, hydrogen, to element 112, copernicium. Attaching stories to a human-interest angle, Kean ensures that with his elaboration of the fixation a chemist, physicist, industrialist, or artist had for a particular element comes clarity about why the element behaves as it does. The soft sell about proton numbers and electron shells thus closes the deal for Kean's anecdotes about elements of war, elements of health, and elements of wealth, plus the title's practical joke of a spoon (made from gallium). Whether explaining why Silicon Valley is not Germanium Valley or reveling in naming-rights battles over a new element, Kean holds interest throughout his entertaining debut.
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Sterling Silver Towle Colonial Serving Spoons |  |
1 Bid | US $100.00 | 4h 50m |
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TOWLE STERLING SILVER CONTESSINA Serving Spoon near mint | |
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US $110.00 | 5h 28m |
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TOWLE STERLING SILVER CONTESSINA Slotted Pierced Serving Spoon near mint | |
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US $110.00 | 5h 28m |
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TOWLE STERLING SILVER CONTESSINA Slotted Pierced Serving Spoon near mint 2 | |
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US $110.00 | 5h 28m |
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TIFFANY CO STERLING SILVER SERVING SPOON ENGLISH KING 1030 GRAMS 925 | |
0 Bid | US $125.00 | 7h 21m |
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Nice Sterling Silver Antique Irish Serving Spoon 1814 John Pittar | |
0 Bid | US $143.00 | 7h 29m |
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GORHAM STERLING SILVER 1941 TABLE SERVING SPOON | |
5 Bids | US $51.09 | 7h 49m |
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3 Sterling Silver Roden Birks Stratford Serving Spoons | |
0 Bid | US $49.99 | 8h 15m |
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ANTIQUE WHITING STERLING SILVER SMALL SERVING SPOON | |
4 Bids | US $21.83 | 8h 45m |
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PAIR OF JS CO STERLING SILVER SERVING SPOONS | |
4 Bids | US $75.00 | 9h 11m |
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STERLING George Shiebler Co SHELL Serving SPOON c 1892 Gorgeous | |
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US $57.00 | 9h 41m |
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8 ½” Pierced Serving Spoon in Reed and Barton “Tara” pattern No Monograms | |
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US $128.00 | 10h 6m |
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S Kirk Son Repousse Sterling Silver Sugar Shell Serving Spoon No Monogram | |
10 Bids | US $27.00 | 10h 27m |
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Sterling COIN Silver Tablespoon Serving Spoon set of 2 Shell Canada | |
0 Bid | US $150.00 | 10h 49m |
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International deepsilver 9 serving spoon | |
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US $108.00 | 11h 29m |
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sterling antique serving spoon fork | |
0 Bid | US $195.00 | 11h 51m |
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RARE 1903 ALVIN BRIDAL ROSE STERLING SILVER TABLE SERVING SPOON 233 T OZ EXC NR | |
5 Bids | US $62.30 | 12h 10m |
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Etruscan by Gorham Serving Spoon 8 1 2 inches No Mono | |
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US $100.00 | 12h 29m |
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1915 STERLING DENMARK GEORG JENSEN ACORN 2 Pc Serving SPOON FORK 53 Ounces | |
3 Bids | US $212.50 | 12h 58m |
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HOLMES EDWARDS SILVERPLATE SM SERVING SPOON | |
0 Bid | US $9.95 | 13h 22m |
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Reed and Barton serving spoon good scrap at 26 oz | |
5 Bids | US $61.00 | 13h 32m |
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Early WHITING serving spoon STERLING | |
0 Bid | US $95.00 | 13h 44m |
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WHITING LILY Sterling Silver Antique SERVING SPOON LADLE C 1902 ART NOUVEAU | |
12 Bids | US $81.00 | 14h 10m |
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GORHAM LUXEMBOURG LARGE FRIED OYSTER SERVING SPOON 9 IN | |
0 Bid | US $365.00 | 14h 10m |
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International RHAPSODY STERLING SILVER 8 Pierced Serving Spoon | |
0 Bid | US $113.00 | 14h 17m |
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International RHAPSODY STERLING SILVER 8 Serving Spoon | |
0 Bid | US $99.00 | 14h 20m |
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TOWLE Sterling Silver OLD MASTER Large SERVING SPOON | |
13 Bids | US $47.00 | 14h 46m |
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American Victorian sterling pattern by Lunt Serving Spoon 1 | |
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US $100.00 | 15h 5m |
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RARE Gorham NUREMBERG 1884 Figural SALAD SERVING SPOON Gilt Bowl | |
0 Bid | US $299.99 | 15h 19m |
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George Martha Sterling Silver Serving Spoon | |
0 Bid | US $89.99 | 15h 31m |
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Large Antique Sterling Silver Serving Spoon 8 and 1 2 Inches Long Engraved T | |
0 Bid | US $40.00 | 15h 49m |
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GORHAM CHANTILLY STERLING SILVER SERVING SPOON OLD MARK SCRAP OR USE FREE SHIPPI | |
11 Bids | US $55.00 | 16h 19m |
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Sterling Silver Serving Spoon | |
0 Bid | US $20.00 | 16h 47m |
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1900 WALLACE IRVING STERLING SILVER SERVING SPOON 8 1 2 558 GRAMS BELOW SCRAP | |
0 Bid | US $54.99 | 17h 18m |
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STERLING SILVER WOOD SERVING SALAD FORK SPOON KIRK | |
1 Bid | US $19.99 | 18h 15m |
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RARE ANTIQUE FIGURAL SHIP ARMORIAL CREST IN RELIEF DUTCH SILVER SERVING SPOON | |
9 Bids | US $57.00 | 19h 22m |
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Antique Reed Barton Francis 1st Sterling Serving Spoon Relief Rose in Bowl | |
7 Bids | US $111.01 | 1d 1h 10m |
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8 1 2” sterling Serving Spoon 3 in Reed and Barton “Tara” pattern | |
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US $384.00 | 1d 3h 3m |
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Antique Sterling Silver Berry Serving Spoon by S Kirk HEAVY LQQK Really COOL | |
14 Bids | US $51.00 | 1d 5h 18m |
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Sterling Serving or Salad Spoon Acorn by Georg Jensen Hollow Handled | |
6 Bids | US $22.50 | 1d 5h 56m |
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