Periodic Table of Death - Carol Potenza

Titanium, Skittles, and the Periodic Table of Death

October 20, 2022 by Carol Potenza

Let’s start with titanium (Ti). This periodic table element was discovered in the late 1700s and its name is derived from Titans, pretty much because it’s as strong as steel (not an element, BTW, but an alloy of iron & carbon) but less dense (1). Ti is shiny and silvery and hard and is the ninth most abundant element on earth. It’s used to make metal alloys that are stronger and lighter for aircraft, spacecraft, and the expensive golf club your significant other is hiding from you in the trunk of their car. The global production of Ti is huge …

Arsenic, Poison Books, and The Periodic Table of Death

October 20, 2022 by Carol Potenza

Does that mean that you’re in danger from poison books? Well, yes, if you inherit a Victorian library from your great Aunt Mary or you visit a rare book collection and are interested in checking out bright green books from the mid-1800s—or bright yellow books or bright orange books.

Krypton, Kryptonite, and the Periodic Table of Death

August 16, 2022 by Carol Potenza

Krypton (Kr) is colorless, odorless, tasteless (Hey. Like iocaine powder) except it is chemically inert, which means it really doesn’t react with anything (1). It is essentially harmless. Or is it? All the noble gases can asphyxiate if you visit a small unventilated space that is full of Kr and not full of enough oxygen or have friends in low places because Kr is five times heavier than air. The only upside is that Kr has a whole-body narcotic effect, so death is relatively painless. There is a radioactive version, Kr-85, that is highly toxic (2) and can cause all …

Nitrogen and the Periodic Table of DEATH

August 16, 2022 by Carol Potenza

N2 gas literally bathes us inside and out because air is 78% N2 (5). Wait. Isn’t the air we breathe oxygen? Around 21% of it is, just like your middle school science teacher told you. And though we breathe N2 in, we don’t need it and exhale it out unchanged. But N can be chemically modified with both positive and deadly consequences.

Iridium and the Periodic Table of Death

August 16, 2022 by Carol Potenza

An asteroid as large as 50 miles across hits what we now call the Yucatan, vaporizes in the 20,000-degree heat caused by the energy of the collision, catches pretty much everything on fire for 100s of miles, creates tsunamis as tall as the Eiffel tower, pitches the world into darkness for a year because of debris and dust thrown into the sky, and completely wipes out the dinosaurs.

Mount Vesuvius, Fluorine, and the Periodic Table of Death

August 16, 2022 by Carol Potenza

In 79 A.D., a catastrophic volcanic eruption rained ash, rocks, and death down on Roman cities in southern Italy. Pyroclastic flows, superheated gaseous clouds measuring 700°C (1300°F) swept down the sides of Mt. Vesuvius (1), vaporized everything in their paths, including the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, and every living creature inhabiting them and the surrounding countryside. This area of Italy is where my people are from. In fact, right next to the region of Campania, where Mt. Vesuvius rests, is Basilicata and its capitol city, Potenza. One day, I think I’ll go there and become their queen. Paesano! This …