h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Carbon - A5217572
Author: radioactiveBigAl1 - on a different planet- thank heavens! - U723247

This is/was an Entry by Iridium (who has long since Elvised, which I think deserves to be in the EG. Nevertheless, I have left a message on his PS, and also done a little 'polishing'. However, I have not done too much work as yet as the Entry is highly technical by today's standards, and I wished to guage the response from PR's before doing too much work.
The Entry contains info to which I am constantly wishing to refer in writing some of nmy own Entries.

hi,

can you chance it's to its in the title ?

tjm

The part about carbon dating was very interesting and informative and the fullerene part is something I'm constantly struggling with and failing to understand so I read this part with interest, if not enlightenment.

As a common carbon-based life form, I should know much more about this kind of stuff...it's amazing what a versatile element this is and how it combines with itself and other elements in strange and unusual ways...me for example.

It seems like a similarly complex rewritten article originally by "old hairy" about "truth tables" sailed though peer review a few month ago so this shouldn't have any problem. I think articles like this tend to elevate the average level of the edited guide (even if I don't understand them).

Carn fault it, butty!

One point you might consider mentioning (though it's your call) under carbon oxides is the croconate anion, C5O52-. This is the first aromatic compound ever discoevred, even before benzene, although obviosuly it wasn't recognised as such. There are variations on this theme such as squarate C4O42-, and rhodizonate C6O62-, each being a 2-electon Huckel system.

for all those replies. I've corrected 'its' in the title. I'll consider the croconate ion FM.

Loved it, loved it, loved it.

I do have one criticism about which I am serious, however. I'd really like to see the bit that goes:
"This seems to be a perfect description of science, which is meddling with the genetic code despite having no coherent philosophy of being."

I wouldn't mind it being replaced with a more cogent quote that has the same meaning; but (even though I find the 666 bit fascinating), counting up from hydrogen, SOME atom had to have 6 protons and 6 electrons.

People who try to find meaning in every arbitrary or accidental 666 are as seriously misled as those who believe that leaving the 13 button off an elevator means that you don't have a 13th floor. [Just try counting from the outside of the building, if you don't believe me .]

It's those who obsess about things like 666 that have no coherent philosphy, in my opinion (the point being that their opinion - opinions being based on personal belief, rather than facts - is no better or worse than mine).

Well, that bit was just put in for a bit of fun really

OH! I understand it was just in fun, REALLY.

I'm just hoping there's a better version out there. This one just makes the originial speaker sound inane [perhaps just because it is out of context]. A poor quote, as opposed to really sharp or witty one, just drags the piece that one small bit.

I know - but it's the only one I have at present.

my old uni justed to markt he fllors in letters, A basment, B ground, C, D , E etc upwards.

There was never a floor i, we assumed it was imaginary

! (Scratches head)

You just got back from consuming at t'pub?

sadly my sacking denies me the pleasures of the pub

Sacking?

lost my job due to moaning about bullies online

Bad luck. I'm also a bit financially embarrassed this month. This is because I have a part-time teaching job in a school (0.4 f.t.e) Then I hae lectureships in two different colleges, but I only get paid during term time. I was going to make up the shortfall during the summer vacation by teaching RFL to Arab students at the college. However, they cancelled their contract at the last minute, leaving me to survive the month on less than half-pay.

What's 22M?

22 million. I'll write it in full.

yep, that would help, cause as a former chemist I read it as Moles

Lovely stuff!

There's still an incorrect "it's" near the beginning.

I've just started work at a scientific institute, and instantly recognised the unusual chandelier in the foyer as a representation of carbon in its graphite form, with a bulb at each apex on the hexagon.