Author Topic: What's your favorite building block of the Universe?  (Read 5804 times)

Offline Bons

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What's your favorite building block of the Universe?
« on: January 16, 2006, 08:57:45 AM »
Yes, kids, it's time for chemistry! Pull out your copy of the Period Table of Elements, and name your favorite atom.

I personally think Tungsten rules. It's symbol is W, so last election season I pretended all the Republicans has Tungsten bumper stickers on their cars. The W stands for "Wolfram," so it's the element of choice for fans of "Angel," too. It's a transition metal. I always liked the phrase "transition metal" -- like these are the metals for people who are tired of living in apartments but not quite ready for the big-ass house so they go semi-detached. Transitional. Tungsten is used in light-bulb filaments, so it's associated with illumination. An enlightened element!

Here's the clincher of why Tungsten rules: it's such a dense metal, it's used to manufacture darts! (No, I don't have a fetish! :) )

So that is why Tungsten is my favorite element. What's yours?

Note: Pandemonium is not an element.

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Offline Grim Squeaker

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Re: What's your favorite building block of the Universe?
« Reply #1 on: January 16, 2006, 08:59:39 AM »
Nickelodium?
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Offline the bigg

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Re: What's your favorite building block of the Universe?
« Reply #2 on: January 16, 2006, 09:06:41 AM »
Italian kids love Strontium - for it sounds similar to 'stronzo', which means both 'asshole' (IE an annoying person) and 'piece of crap' (in the literal term).
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Offline Alarielle

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Re: What's your favorite building block of the Universe?
« Reply #3 on: January 16, 2006, 09:09:17 AM »
Iridium.

It's brittle, but pretty much entirely acid resistant.  Also they make fountain pen nibs from it :D
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Offline Grim Squeaker

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Re: What's your favorite building block of the Universe?
« Reply #4 on: January 16, 2006, 09:12:36 AM »
I shall repent and be serious.

I've always liked Caesium because of the good old exploding glass jar, but thats just a quirk.  Iodine is fun because loads of people think its a liquid because of Biology.  Milla Jovovich isn't the most amazing female celebrity so I won't go with the Fifth Element.

I think I may have to go with Sodium.  It's like an old friend when it comes to science.  You're shown it really early on and even now it's still kind of fun.  The fact it's really soft but can be quite volatile is really nifty feature, and I guess may also say something about my personality.  Also, the fact you can perform a reaction with something else remarkably unedible and end up with salt is a nice feature. 

So shall I go with Sodium?  Na!
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Offline Veloxyll

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Re: What's your favorite building block of the Universe?
« Reply #5 on: January 16, 2006, 09:20:09 AM »
I've always been a fan of Silver, It's shiny, AND can be used to kill all number of mysterious and magical beings. Attractive, and practical.

But alas, I have to go with Fluorine. Such a powerfully negative element, capable of such wonderfully energetic reactions. As an added bonus, it's the lowest grade on several grading scales! It's JUST THAT NEGATIVE.
And it's a common component in drinking water! hooray!
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Offline rotschopf

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Re: What's your favorite building block of the Universe?
« Reply #6 on: January 16, 2006, 09:30:49 AM »
I would have to go with Boron. Simply because I like the dual nature of it. It has properties which are borderlining between metals and non-metals. It is a semiconductor rather than a metallic conductor. Chemically it is closer to silicon than to aluminium, gallium, indium, and thallium.

Additonally, the element reminds me of one of my favourite Stargate SG-1 moments. And it's similarity to 'moron' is quite obvious  ;D

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Offline NiGHTMARE

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Re: What's your favorite building block of the Universe?
« Reply #7 on: January 16, 2006, 09:31:44 AM »
Carbon, since all (known) life is made from it.
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Offline SimDing0™

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Re: What's your favorite building block of the Universe?
« Reply #8 on: January 16, 2006, 09:37:04 AM »
Molybdenum. It is the most firmly associated with pirates.

Offline Bex

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Re: What's your favorite building block of the Universe?
« Reply #9 on: January 16, 2006, 09:59:21 AM »
Mercury. It's a heavy metal, but liquid at room temperature. And it's poisonous, but looks cool.
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Offline Idobek

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Re: What's your favorite building block of the Universe?
« Reply #10 on: January 16, 2006, 10:44:12 AM »
As much as I hate to agree with NiGHTMARE, I also have to go with carbon too. Not because of all that life malarky though. Nah! Diamonds and Buckyballs--just too funky to ignore.
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Offline Evaine Dian

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Re: What's your favorite building block of the Universe?
« Reply #11 on: January 16, 2006, 11:09:33 AM »
I vote for Wolfram, too, because it's the first name of a teacher I had a crush on.
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Offline NiGHTMARE

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Re: What's your favorite building block of the Universe?
« Reply #12 on: January 16, 2006, 11:25:42 AM »
As much as I hate to agree with NiGHTMARE, I also have to go with carbon too. Not because of all that life malarky though. Nah! Diamonds and Buckyballs--just too funky to ignore.

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Re: What's your favorite building block of the Universe?
« Reply #13 on: January 16, 2006, 11:29:38 AM »
I'll have to go for Yttrium because I like its atomic number.
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Offline Andyr

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Re: What's your favorite building block of the Universe?
« Reply #14 on: January 16, 2006, 11:47:17 AM »
I am not sure what my favourite element is. :/ Maybe hydrogen because the maths involving it is not quite as intractable as for other elements...

If you go more fundamental than elements, I would probably pick a quark because the terminology associated with them is pretty funny. They have colour and flavour. And can be up, down, top, bottom, charmed, strange. :D
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Offline Grim Squeaker

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Re: What's your favorite building block of the Universe?
« Reply #15 on: January 16, 2006, 11:57:35 AM »
If you go more fundamental than elements, I would probably pick a quark because the terminology associated with them is pretty funny. They have colour and flavour. And can be up, down, top, bottom, charmed, strange. :D

Not quite as cool as gluons or the sonic hedgehog gene.

Edit: I can do grammar me!
« Last Edit: January 16, 2006, 12:00:45 PM by Grim Squeaker »
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Offline icelus

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Re: What's your favorite building block of the Universe?
« Reply #16 on: January 16, 2006, 12:15:53 PM »
I like whatever element makes up the Happy Fun Ball.
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Offline glain

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Re: What's your favorite building block of the Universe?
« Reply #17 on: January 16, 2006, 02:21:07 PM »
I vote with Ice!

Any element that gets upset when you taunt it is cool in my book.  ;)
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Offline Regullus

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Re: What's your favorite building block of the Universe?
« Reply #18 on: January 16, 2006, 03:40:30 PM »
 Oxygen. I am just really, really, fond of oxygen. It makes me very happy. Silver is very pretty, mercury is fun to watch, but I don't know oxygen is just so... breathable.

Offline Drew

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Re: What's your favorite building block of the Universe?
« Reply #19 on: January 16, 2006, 03:44:38 PM »
I'm fond of sulfur.
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Offline Grim Squeaker

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Re: What's your favorite building block of the Universe?
« Reply #20 on: January 16, 2006, 04:01:41 PM »
I'm fond of sulfur.

Damn the American spellings.  Despite the fact its been forced on the international community I shall never accept it.  SULPHUR FOREVAR!!!!!!111
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Offline melora

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Re: What's your favorite building block of the Universe?
« Reply #21 on: January 16, 2006, 06:25:37 PM »
i like Calcium... leave it to me to relate it to food LOL
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Offline fcm

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Re: What's your favorite building block of the Universe?
« Reply #22 on: January 16, 2006, 07:48:01 PM »
Chromium. It is responsible for both ememeralds and rubies, has an extremely high melting point, makes steel stainless, and creates a multiplicty of fine pigments that enable the beautification of the world.

Not to mention that it makes car components shiny.

Apparently it's also used in the firework that makes "worms" or "snakes." You know, those little black pellets that make big, tubular ash trails and leave giant black stains on your concrete. I like those.
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Offline Dark Raven

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Re: What's your favorite building block of the Universe?
« Reply #23 on: January 16, 2006, 09:17:47 PM »
Uranium
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Offline melora

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Re: What's your favorite building block of the Universe?
« Reply #24 on: January 16, 2006, 09:37:40 PM »
is chocolate a building block?   ;D
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