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Happy Birthday, Atom

Posted by michael on from the how-old-are-you-now-how-old-are-you-now dept.

Shipud writes "200 years ago today (Oct. 21) John Dalton revolutionized chemistry by starting the process of turning it into an exact science. He presented the Table of Atomic Weights, at the Manchester literary and Philosophical Society. Dalton's work proposed atoms exist: and not just as an explanatory or philosophical tool. His theory laid the foundations for the periodic table of the elements (1869, Mendeleev), and indeed to all modern chemistry. The molecular weight of compounds is today measured in Daltons, the weight of a hydrogen atom. Read more about Mr. Dalton in today's Nature: a man of many interests, whose atomic theory preceded experimental evidence by a century. Read also about Daltonism -- and why it is named after him."

5 of 139 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Gee Thanks Pal - WHAT A WASTE by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    This story is completely useless; thanks for news that I could give a Rat's Ass about!

  2. That reminds me of ..... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    I had a Profy in our freshmen year by the name Dalton. He would always refer to "Quantum Numbers" as "Condom Numbers"

  3. Let me demonstrate by falxx · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    "He was the archetypal scientific dabbler, with interests ranging from meteorology to colour vision - he was colour-blind, a condition that became known as daltonism. He taught chemistry but had no experience of chemical research."

    If I get this right, let me demonstrate what 'daltonism' is:

    If, or when, this post get modded down +redundant, I've proven my point (:

    --
    falxx
  4. He's a terrorist! by Hal+The+Computer · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    You horrible terrorist, you just explained the principle behind a Hydrogen Bomb. There are penalties for those who reveal the precious secrets of fusion.
    :-)

    --

    int main(void){int x=01232;while(malloc(x));return x;}
  5. Re:Gee Thanks Pal by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    You know your Pee-Niss is too small when the foreskin is longer than the actual shaft.