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This. We give too much importance to the "Periodic Table". It's just a man-made microlang. Nature is unconcerned with it. There is much more beyond it. P.S. W
by breck 2y ago
This.
We give too much importance to the "Periodic Table". It's just a man-made microlang. Nature is unconcerned with it. There is much more beyond it.
P.S. While I'm criticizing the PT, might as well mention that I think we've probably done people a diservice by giving misnomer names like "Hydrogen" and "Oxygen" to these elements, which is completely disconnected from the mathematical beauty and patterns that those names represent.
- snapcaster 2y agoWhat would you name Hydrogen and Oxygen?
- NeoTar 2y agoInverting the names makes sense. Wikipedia: Oxygen > Lavoisier renamed 'vital air' to oxygène in 1777 from the Greek roots ὀξύς (oxys) (acid, literally 'sharp', from the taste of acids) and -γενής (-genēs) (producer, literally begetter), because he mistakenly believed that oxygen was a constituent of all acids. Hydrogen comes from ‘water’, which contains hydrogen and oxygen. So, since all acids must have Hydrogen, Oxygen is actually a better name for Hydrogen. This then leaves the name Hydrogen free for Oxygen.
- breck 2y agoGreat question. Singtium and Octium, perhaps.
- dredmorbius 2y agoWasserstoff and Sauerstoff, obv.