The Elements by Theodore Gray, a beautiful book for the start of the new school year (para comenzar el nuevo curso)

This book is like our family picture book of the universe. It is the universal catalog of everything you can drop on your foot, as the author says (nuestro album de fotos familiar del universo).

Poetry and science come together in this book (poesía y ciencia unidas en este libro).

The Pythagorean theorem (teorema de Pitágoras)

The following video shows you a water demonstration of the Pythagorean theorem:

Thales of Miletus

This is Thales, famous for measuring the Great Pyramid of Cheops. Here you have a better picture than the one I drew on the board yesterday:

                                                                                 The Wonderful World of Mathematics
                                                                                                                                      by Lancelot Hogben

Save the Aral Sea

The Aral Sea (a saltwater lake in Central Asia) is shrinking. Compare the following photos, from 1989 and 2008.

This is an example of  irresponsible use of water. The rivers that feed the lake are used to irrigate extensive crops.
I took this video from youtube to show you the consequences that our actions may have on our planet.

A diamond is forever

Diamonds are the hardest  mineral in nature. They can cut almost everything. They are made of carbon atoms which have a special crystal shape.

                                                Diamond´s crystal structure


Each black ball represents a carbon atom..This crystallization requires incredible preassure and heat deep within Earth.That is why diamonds are so hard, contrary to pencil carbon made of the same stuff but with a different structure, as you can see in the following picture:

A rough diamond, in the left picture below. This is how diamonds look like when they are found in rocks. Experts must polish diamonds to make them into jewels, like the one in the right picture:

          
    Yes, a diamond is forever...

        

A question of density (una cuestión de densidad)

Does the coke float or sink? (¿Flota la coca-cola o se hunde?)



Any comments? ¿Algún comentario?

A Day Without Chemistry (un día sin química)

Imagine a day without cars, electric lights, TV, telephones, safe food, and water, medicine, clothing, your house, and thousands of other familiar objects that make up modern society. Do it, and you are imagining a day in a world without chemistry.