Monday 8 February 2016

Happy birthday to a man who got things astonishingly right

It was good of Google to remind us, in one of its doodles, that 8 February was Dmitri Mendeleev’s birthday (the 182nd, as it happens, but then Google makes a bit of a point of celebrating slightly odd anniversaries).

What I’ve always liked about Mendeleev is that he didn’t just build the periodic table, which we’ve no doubt all gazed at in long boring moments if we’ve ever had chemistry classes, he used it to do something I regard as absolutely central to the nature of the scientific method as it emerged in the eighteenth century. For a long time, scientists set themselves the goal of explaining the phenomena they observed. They watched bodies falling at the Earth’s surface, for instance, and they came up with notions of rapidly spinning vortices of ethereal (weightless) matter that drove objects downwards, and lots of people went along with the idea because it seemed quite plausible.


Attractive as well as useful
And note number 32
The problem is that this view of the world suggests that objects would also be pushed sideways by the spinning matter, and they clearly aren’t.

The beauty of Newton’s theory of gravitation, long resisted by the proponents of the vortices, was that it predicted things that actually happened, from the movement of the planets (or most of them, anyway – Mercury needed Einstein to come along), to the orbit of the moon, to the action of the tides, to the falling of bodies, all in one theoretical framework. It’s that predictive rather than simply explanatory capacity that gave Newton’s arguments such force, compared to his adversaries.

Mendeleev did the same, perhaps even more forcefully. He built his periodic table, and discovered there were holes in it: squares that ought to contain the name of an element, but for which none was known.

For instance, he worked on group 14 of the table, which starts with one of the most important elements of all, for us, since it’s the basis for all life: Carbon. It has the capacity of forming long chains of carbons atoms, or alternatively carbon rings, and they are vital in supporting life.

The next element is Silicon, which appears, in particular, in sand and glass.

Then there was a gap. Because the next know element in Mendeleev’s time was tin. It’s so much bigger than Silicon that there had to be another element in between them. Besides, tin is a metal, as is the then last-known element of the group, lead, whereas carbon is definitely non-metallic and silicon only slightly less so; there had to be some transitional element between them.

In 1869, Mendeleev predicted that the material would have an atomic weight of 72, be grey in colour, with a density of 5.5 grams per cubic centimetre and a high melting point. Its chloride, he believed, would boil at a temperature below 100C, and would have a density of 1.9 gm/cc.

In 1886, the element Germanium was discovered. It has an atomic weight of 72.61. It’s grey with a density of 5.35 g/cc; its melting point is 947 C; its chloride boils at 86C and its density is, indeed, 1.9.

Germanium also happens to be a semi-conductor, which makes it important in transistors, and places it neatly in a transition between non-metals and metals.

That’s what I call predictive capacity: to say so much about something unknown, and to find confirmation that close when it’s discovered. Impressive stuff. And truly the stuff of science.

So happy 182nd, Dmitri. And thanks for that great table. It whiled away many a boring period in chemistry lessons.


Impressive man. And didn’t he look it?

63 comments:

Awoogamuffin said...

Yes and I also enjoy the story of the tension between Mendeleev and Paul Emile Lecoq de Boisbaudran regarding the properties of Gallium, which Mendeleev also won.

But it should be noted Mendeleev got a lot of things wrong. Sam Keen talks about them in the disappearing spoon, but I remember one of them was that he predicted an entire periodic table on the other side of hydrogen. Just goes to show that the power of predictive reasoning does need the experimental data to back it up in the end.

David Beeson said...

Good points. But I suppose it shows the validity of the scientific method: it's the confirmation of predictions that makes the point.

Birthday Wishes said...

I wish you a very very Happy Birthday to you and all Birthday Wishes fill the life with joy and blessing

Robert said...

Wow, amazing weblog structure! How lengthy have
you ever been blogging for? you made running a blog look easy.
The entire glance of your web site is magnificent, let alone
the content!
ant download manager crack
agisoft photoscan crack
ivi crack
cubase pro crack

M. Irfan said...

My spouse and I absolutely love your blog and find a lot of your post’s to be just
what I’m looking for. Does one offer guest writers to write
content for you personally? I wouldn’t mind creating
a post or elaborating on a lot of the subjects you write related to here.
Again, awesome web log!
mirillis action crack
hotspot shield crack
avg email server edition crack

Adeel Nawaz said...

I'm really impressed with your writing skills, as smart as the structure of your weblog.
Is this a paid topic or do you change it yourself?
However, stopping by with great quality writing, it's hard to see any good blog today.

idm serial key crack
outbyte driver updater crack
idm crack
imazing crack

Ch Tariq said...

Thanks for your personal marvelous posting! I seriously enjoyed reading it,
you happen to be a great author.I will remember to bookmark your blog and may come back in the future.
I want to encourage that you continue your great writing, have
a nice weekend!
smadav antivirus crack
luminar photo editor crack
removewat crack
mini tool power crack
manycam crack

Shahbaz Anjam said...

I every time emailed this webpage post page to all my associates, because if like to
read it after that my contacts will too.

active file recovery crack
avs video editor 9 4 2 crack

Muzamil Ansari said...

Hello there! One of my Facebook groups shared this website with us.
I came to see him too. I really like this information.
snagit crack
avast premier crack
paragon ntfs crack
reaconverter pro crack

Abdullah said...


Great post! We are linking to this great article on our
site. Keep up the great writing.
microsoft office 2019 product key
4k video downloader crack
fontlab crack
isobuster crack
lashboot crack
windows 10 pro iso for free 32 bit and 64 bit

Unknown said...

I know this site offers high quality content and other information,
is there any other site that presents these things qualitatively?
msc adams 2017 latest
logic pro x crack
ccleaner pro crack

Syed Muhammad Ali Shah said...

It’s not my first time to pay a quick visit this web
site, i am visiting this site dailly and obtain fastidious data from here
daily.

alcohol 120 crack
xilisoft video converter ultimate crack
call of duty mobile apk

Syed Muhammad Ali Shah said...


I really love your blog.. Great colors & theme.
Did you develop this website yourself? Please reply
back as I’m hoping to create my own site and would love to know
where you got this from or just what the theme is named.
Thank you!
iphone backup extractor crack

Syed Muhammad Ali Shah said...


Great blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere?
A design like yours with a few simple tweeks would really make my blog stand out.
Please let me know where you got your design. Bless you

Syed Muhammad Ali Shah said...


Great blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere?
A design like yours with a few simple tweeks would really make my blog stand out.
Please let me know where you got your design. Bless you

driver booster crack
adobe photoshop cs6
daemon tools ultra
windows repair pro crack
bubble shooter apk

Syed Muhammad Ali Shah said...


Great blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere?
A design like yours with a few simple tweeks would really make my blog stand out.
Please let me know where you got your design. Bless you
microsoft toolkit
ispring free cam
gbwhatsapp mod apk

Syed Muhammad Ali Shah said...


Nicely written & done.
I started writing in the last few days and realized that lot of
writers simply rework old ideas but add very little of value.
It’s fantastic to read an informative post of some genuine value to myself and your other followers.
It is on the list of things I need to replicate as a new blogger.
Reader engagement and content quality are king.
Some terrific ideas; you’ve most certainly managed to get on my list of blogs to watch!
Carry on the terrific work!
Well done,
Cheryl.
Thank you!
movavi video converter crack

Adeel Nawaz said...

Hello it’s me, I am also visiting this site on a regular basis, this web page is truly nice and the people are actually sharing fastidious thoughts.
artlantis studio crack
iobit unlocker crack
avg driver updater crack
movavi video converter crack
radmin vpn crack
adobe photoshop elements crack
coreldraw crack
auslogics registry defrag crack
minitool partition wizard pro crack

malik shoaib said...

I am very impressed with your work because your work provide me a great knowledge and thanks for sharing
screenhunter pro crack
vysor pro crack
serato dj pro crack

8899536 said...

It's really solid for you from an overall perspective of all window programming foundation. This site is amazing its article is major and overpowering. I appreciated and bookmark this site on my chrome. This is where you can get all break programming in like way present considering a specific target.
https://cracksmad.com/

8899536 said...

It's truly strong for you from a general point of view of all window programming establishment. This site is astonishing its article is major and overwhelming. I appreciated and bookmark this site on my chrome. This is the place where you can get all break programming in like manner present thinking about a particular objective.
/https://chlicensekey.com

Zaki Saanvi said...

This blog is very useful and very helpful for me. Keep sharing this type of blog with us. I am very grateful to you for sharing this useful and helpful blog with us.
removewat crack free
imindmap crack
deskscapes full crack
vuescan free crack download

Amir said...

Thanks for ones marvelous posting! I actually enjoyed reading it, you happen to be a great author. I will remember to bookmark your blog and will often come back very soon. I want to encourage that you continue your great posts,
Matlab Crack
Camtasia Studio Crack
final cut pro x crack
navicat premium crack

Crackkick.com said...

Hey, there admins, I visit your blog and I like it very much keep it up, bro.
Mathtype Crack

Cracksir said...

Thank you for your sensible critique.me & my neighbour were just preparing to do a little research on it.
for more info;
please visit Cracksir.com

Game fire pro crack free download
Mailbird pro crack free download
Inpixio photo clip crack free download
Easy cut studio crack free download
Zentimo xstorage manager crack free download

M. Irfan said...

[…] has there own vehicle. Transportation is been a part of their daily routine. Transferring from movavi video converter full crack download to amazing . not easy without using this. movavi video converter free download invented the […]
luminar crack
mixpad music mixer crack
phpstorm crack

Adeel Nawaz said...

updatedcrack
matlab crack license key
mcafee antivirus crack
movavi pdf editor crack activation key
nch dreamplan plus crack
nordvpn crack

M. Irfan said...

Spⲟt on with this write-up, I actually believe that this sitte needs
much more Đ°ttention. I’ll probabⅼy be back again to see more, thanks for the info! virtual dj pro crack
phpstorm crack
virtual dj crack

qammar abbas said...



Oh my goodness! Impressive article dude! Thanks, However I am having troubles with your RSS. I don’t understand the reason why I am unable to join it. Is there anybody having the same RSS issues? Anyone that knows the answer will you kindly respond? Thanx!!
driver easy crack
vidmix apk mod
movavi photo editor crack
daemon tools ultra crack

Aamir Saeed said...



Nice post, Keep it up. Thanks for sharing.
Lumion Crack
Advanced Disk Recovery Crack

Amit Import said...

Get the best Argentina Import Export Data at Import Globals. For more information about our import export services call +919999887320 or visit our website.
Chile Import Data

Keysfile said...


I like your post. It is good to see you verbalize from the heart and clarity on this important subject can be easily observed.
OverWatch 3.16 Crack
Photomatix Pro Crack
Euro Truck Simulator Crack
Neat Video Crack
Sidify Music Converter Crack
PluralEyes Crack
Amtlib DLL Crack
iCloud Remover Crack

Hafeez Shah said...

Beautifully written and done.
I recently started creating blogs and noticed a lot of people are just repeating old content but adding
very little in price. It's good to add a useful article of real value to your subscribers and me.
wondershare pdf editor pro crack
fl studio crack
movavi video converter crack
movavi 360 video editor crack
adobe photoshop cc crack
transmac crack

Sabir Hussain said...

On the Internet, I was happy to discover this installation.
It was a wonderful read and I owe it to you at least once.
It touched my interest a little and you kindly kept it.
Become a fan of a new article on your site
malwarebytes premium crack
templatetoaster crack
microsoft office 2016 crack
xsplit gamecaster studio crack
among us crack

Simple Boy said...

I am very impressed with your post because this post is very helpful to me and gives me new information. Thanks for sharing this post is a great article. God bless you
minitool partition wizard pro
windows device recovery tool
final fantasy 7 remake crack
marvels avengers crack
quadrilateral cowboy crack
azure striker gunvolt crack
nier replicant ver crack
minecraft dungeons crack
diablo hellfire gog crack
rick and morty virtual rickality vr vrex crack

Downloadwin said...

Hello, Your Site is very nice, and it's very helping us this post is unique and interesting, thank you for sharing this awesome information. and visit our blog site also.. Keep it up
PortraitPro 22.0.2 Crack
IDM Crack 6.40 Build 9 Patch

Crackedfine said...

I guess I am the only one who came here to share my very own experience. Guess what!? I am using my laptop for almost the past 2 years, but I had no idea of solving some basic issues. I do not know how to Crack Softwares Free Download But thankfully, I recently visited a website named Crackedfine
Datakit Crossmanager Crack
DxO PhotoLab Elite Crack
Kaspersky Total Security Crack
Java Jdk Kit Crack

Sony Pitter said...

Wow, this was an exceptionally well-written article. This was just too much information for my taste.

riva said...

Good Software<....>
Nuclear Coffee VideoGet license-key
NCH DreamPlan Plus Crack
MapInfo Professional crack
Cartoon Animator crack

riva said...


Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful information with us. It seems like you have done a lot of hard work to collect such great information.
InPixio Photo Editor crack
Avira System Speedup Pro crack
Artlantis Studio crack

Unknown said...

Amazing blog! I really like the way you explained such information about this post with us. And blog is really helpful for us this website
iskysoft-pdf-editor-pro-crack

numan said...

I like your all post. You have done really good work. Thank you for the information you provide, it helped me a lot. vstlicense.com I hope to have many more entries or so from you.
Very interesting blog.
Burnaware Professional Crack

Muhammad Sajjad Ali said...


I’ve been surfing on the web more than 3 hours today, yet I never found any stunning article like yours.
It’s alluringly worth for me.
As I would see it, if all web proprietors and bloggers made puzzling substance as you did.
the net will be in a general sense more beneficial than at whatever point in late memory.

auslogics disk defrag crack
able2extract professional crack
http debugger pro crack
techsmith camtasia crack
ransomware defender crack
epic pen pro crack

kalicrack said...

Amazing and Creative blogs that you see.. Its latest version indormation......'
Epubor Ultimate eBook Converter crack
Evaer video recorder crack
Combo Cleaner Premium Crack
Aiseesoft Screen Recorder Crack
DVBViewer Crack
ApowerPDF Crack
Microsoft Safety Scanner Crack
Leawo Music Recorder Crack
Keyscape Mac Crack
FotoWorks XL Crack

oliver said...

I am overjoyed to have discovered this article. The writer has an extremely creative mind; life is all about creating yourself, not finding yourself. Kindly visit my page because my post includes useful information.Available Now

kalicrack said...

Amazing and Creative blogs that you see.. Its latest version indormation......'
ApowerPDF Crack
Evaer video recorder crack
Combo Cleaner Premium Crack
Aiseesoft Screen Recorder Crack
DVBViewer Crack
ApowerPDF Crack
Microsoft Safety Scanner Crack
Leawo Music Recorder Crack
Keyscape Mac Crack
FotoWorks XL Crack

Kamran Afzal said...

I appreciate you providing yet another useful webpage. Exactly where else can I find knowledge stated in such a perfect manner?
I've been looking for information about this subject for a long time and yours truly has provided me with valuable information to work on.
microsoft video converter crack
easeus video editor crack
movie mator editor pro crack
avee music player apk crack

Unknown said...

Hello, I just discovered your blog on Google and I like it.
it's quite handy. I'll look at the Brussels sprouts.
If you continue to do so in the future, I will appreciate it. Many people will benefit from it.
based on your writing Greetings. Thanks for sharing.
magix video pro crack
magix video pro crack
magix video pro crack
magix video pro crack
magix video pro crack
magix video pro crack
magix video pro crack
magix video pro crack

Syeda Wallail Angaiz Moater said...

It's encouraging to see that some people continue to put effort into maintaining their websites. I'll make sure to come back and visit you soon. It's very incredible. https://cracksir.com/remove-logo-now-4-0-1-cracked-latest/

hubert said...

This is a very informative site. It is very helpful for me. I think! it is great for any one. Thanks for the Recommendation.
https://crackgive.com/driverfinder-pro-3-8-0-crack-license-key-free-download/

jones said...

I'd like to see many more submissions from you in the future.
So many people love your software. It's an honor to see your work.https://wellcrack.com/artweaver-plus-crack/

Rabi Shahzad said...

Thank you for your valuable updates. You can also
PreSonus Studio One

CrackKit said...


You are so interesting! I don't think I've read anything like this before.
It's great to find someone with real ideas on this topic. Indeed ... thank you very much for starting.
This site is something needed on the internet, not real!
This is a great blog! Your site is loading too fast!
What type of web server do you use? Can you send me an affiliate link for your web host?

plum amazing iwatermark pro crack
program4pc audio converter pro crack
aimersoft dvd creator crack
wondershare dvd creator crack
winext batch operator enterprise crack
treesize professional crack
softmaker flexipdf 2019 professional crack
viewcompanion premium crack
red gate smartassembly crack

crackkeygencrack76 said...

I am a web blogger visit my website
Crack Keygen Patch Softwares

David Lion said...

Very well done. Keep up the excellent work.
https://macapps-download.com/the-henry-stickmin-collection/

Charli Monster said...

It's a fantastic piece of software. I'm pleased I stumbled onto this and had the chance to read it.https://freesoftwareapps.com/avid-pro-tools-serial-key-crack/

Rabi Shahzad said...

This webpage was recommended to me by a friend.
ESET NOD32 Antivirus

Isha Rose said...

Software Engineering, on the other hand, is engineering applied to software development. Keep up the wonderful work and keep spreading the word. regards.
https://crackguru.net/photofiltre-studio-x-crack/

Karen Jarvis said...

Blogger

Anonymous said...

I've subscribed and am forward to finding out more of your wonderful content.

Anum02 said...

I like this website. I am very satisfied with it.

Anonymous said...

i am satisfied with it i like this website

Waseem Malik said...

NordVPN Crack Crack