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From: mjs14@unix.brighton.ac.uk (shute)
Subject: Re: Randomness is a human concept (was Re: Time is a human concept)
Message-ID: <1994Nov29.124436.8007@unix.brighton.ac.uk>
Organization: University of Brighton, UK
References: <3b87dp$g0c@cascade.pnw.net> <CzzwG9.Iny@gpu.utcc.utoronto.ca> <3bdvo9$81f@cutter.clas.ufl.edu>
Date: Tue, 29 Nov 1994 12:44:36 GMT
Lines: 29

In article <3bdvo9$81f@cutter.clas.ufl.edu> keymouse@grove.ufl.edu (Jung K Park) writes:
>If one were to classify the elements according to, let's say the number of
>neutrons, there would be no periodic table because there would BE NO
>correlation between the number of neutrons and periodic trends such as
>chemical reactivity.

I'd like to inject a quick "point of information" in here, before this
thread gets into the same mental gymnastic trouble as the fool's gold
thread has...

The periodic table was constructed by charting the atomic weights (i.e.
Nprotons + Nneutrons).  It was just lucky for us that for most elements
Nprotons ~= Nneutrons, so the position in the periodic table correlated
so well to the results that subsequently came out of the X-ray
experiments.

So, in fact, basing the periodic table on Nneutrons would still, by
the same stroke of luck, have shown roughly the same periodic pattern.


Having said that... yes, I whole heartedly agree with the substance of
your argument (that it might be a property of human minds that finds the
arrangement of the periodic table to be interesting).  Similarly, I
take on board the comments about the meaning of the word 'gold'
(even though I know that all the ancients would have noticed that
fool's gold does not melt at the same temperature as real gold).
-- 

Malcolm SHUTE.         (The AM Mollusc:   v_@_ )        Disclaimer: all
