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

A26107751
Is your prime entry that I'm priming for the FP. I'm 3/4 done, but just thought I'd use this as an excuse to ask if you ended up looking into the alchemy question that came up over your last entry: about radioactive materials decaying into gold.

It's a question that's been bugging me since high school chemistry. I'm surprised you don't get it quite commonly from students.

Hi Leo,

No, I'm afraid I didn't. I think I may have said at the time, I've a recollection of a letter being sent to New Scientist re a rumour that gold had been found on the walls oof the military reactor at Dubna in the former Soviet Union. However, I can't recall what New Scientist said and I also missed out on subsequent correspondence by not buying the mag

I have tried googling to retrieve the info from time to time, but to no avail.

I fdid have a particular interest as well, as I once visited Dubna.

I'm distinctly 'under the weather' at present - have been for about 2 weeks, but when I'm recovered I may well chase it up again.

A

Feel better! Chicken soup orally, hydrogen peroxide through the ears, and a hot water bottle over the head.

Nah! Despite the fact today was a lovely sunny day and I would normally spend most of my time outside, I regret to sayu I've sent a considerable amount of time asleep on the sofa.

Every minor job, e.g. washing the dishes, bringing in/hanging out the washing etc necesseitates that I have a half-hour lie down to recover

diagnosed tonsillitis but, to be honest, I've never been so debillitaed in my life! This has now been going on since last Tuesday, and I am due back at work next Tuesday after the long summer vacation I don't feel adequately prepared.

Tonsilitis? Can that really flatten a person?

Well, best wishes to you for a rapid recovery. You don't really want to drag yourself into class the first day looking like an exhibit on corpse decay.
"Today we're going to learn about methane..."

Well did comment to me that it's not rreally appreciated howmuch fairly mundane illnesses can knock one back.

The worst thing for me is not a sore throat but ulcers on the roof of my mouh along the gum line.

These make it difficult to eat crisp food eg carrots, roast potatos, toast etc, and anything hot

Ulcers?! My goodness! I hope you're better. How's school?

Anyway, I went through the entry and didn't do anything drastic. I'll add links and go through once more, but take a look now and let me know how you like it.

A26107751?s_fromedit=1

Leo.

I only notice two aberrations.

The first , under the Header of 'Bernhardt Riemann':


'...he transferred to the gymnasium school at L�neburg,' > Luneberg (with some sort of accent over the 'u')

The second, under Header of 'Hardy':

'...zeros offthe line > '...zeros off the line...' (i.w, insert space).


Refret I'm not fully recovered yet. The term started on Tuesday wqith a Staff Conference' and we (the staff) were s'posed to be in all week.

The students return on Monday.

However, at the Staff Conference I could barely speak, and when I did I broke up into paroxysms of coughing. When I got back to my digs in the evening I vomited up my evening meal within 30 minutes of eating it. So, I knew I wasn't right. I did go into College on the Wednesday to pick up some stuff which I could work on from home, and told them I was taking some sick leave. All my colleagues told me I shouldn't be in College, and it wasn't worth me being there for this particular week.

I returned home and saw the yesterday who signedme off for the rest of this week. However, I've felt too tired and lethargic to try to do any paper-work, important though it is before start of term.

The says that tonillitis is not a trivial illness in adults

Not a trivial illness! I'll say - from the sound of it. Sounds dreadful. Is it common?

Reasonably common I'd say.

Mrs BigAl told me yesterday that half of my grandson's class had been off with tonsillitis just before the summer holidays. (My grandson, who's 5, lives with us while his mum is studying for a midwifery degree)

Hi Leo,

I found this:

http://chemistry.about.com/cs/generalchemistry/a/aa050601a.htm

which mentions that the Soviets apparently achieved it accidentally at a reactor near Lake Baikal. I think this is the story which I'd faintly remembered as being the subject of a letter to New Scientist.

A

brilliant! Thank you.
So alchemy is possible, but not viable. (Well, a gov't might be able to get away with it.)

And your entry is bad with the eds.

I hope you're feeling better - school's begun today, hasn't it?

'And your entry is bad with the eds.'



'I hope you're feeling better - school's begun today, hasn't it?' Well school (actually college) started last Tuesday with a staff conference. Then the rest of that week and this week the predominant task was interviewing prospective new students.

Apart from the conference last Tuesday, I haven't been back. The signed me off. I'm feeling much better today though, and when I saw the yesterday he said that I'm looking much brighter than I did the last time he saw me.

The main symptom at present is breaking into parxysms of coughing whenever IU speak, or whenever I do anything 'strenuous' (like walk up the stairs)

I haven't been up and about for long enough this morning yto see how much this has improved - or not. However, I have it in mind to return to w*rk tomorrow (Wednesday)

Back with the eds. I'm sure they like it just fine.

College? I thought you were in high school... or did that change recently?
Good luck w*rking. Avoid stairs. Hey, who needs 'em when you have someone to fetch things for you?

Well, up until a year ago, I had three part-time jobs. 0.6 full-time equivalent in a High School and sessioal work in two Colleges of Further Education.

Last September I obtained a full-time post in a different College of F.E.

It's 50 miles from my home town so just too far, IMO, to commute every day. So I rent a flat there and return at weekends. Where I work is a seaside town and, as a family, we uised to holiday there occasionally. So, now my flat is available for this at no extra cost

I do have a colleague who commutes 45 miles each way every day, but he has a young family and doesn't like being away from them too long. However, on at least one evening a week he teaches until 9 pm. Then he has to drive home, then come back again the next morning. I guess he has to leave by 0730 at the latest

My father used to commute almost an hour and a half every morning to work. He left at around 6 am, but made a stop along the way. Never got back until almost 7. I think he was secretly very relieved to be downsized.

Full-time college position is good stuff, though. Congrats, even if they are a bit late. And staying away all week sounds like the key to a good marriage.

Trouble is, staying away all week can be a bit frustrating as one can't do various pleasurable tasks like mowing the awn, weeding the garden... . All hese need to be fitted in to the weekend .

Better idea: just move the entire family into the vacation flat.

OK... maybe not?

But surely that leaves the afternoons freer for more pleasurable things, like lolling around watching TV, enjoying a solitary drink, and marking papers?