(no subject)
I have just had a fascinating evening with Penelope Clearwater's mother and one of her colleagues from the University in which she works. Penelope is currently abroad with work for the Ministry, and Mrs. Clearwater, for some reason, felt that I should be given a companion once in awhile. However, I was quite pleased with her choice. I have always considered the idea of burying myself in Muggle knowledge to be a quite worthwhile one, and thus I am always interested to hear about the strange and fascinating world of Muggle science.
This colleague, a Mr. Jonah Davidson, is evidently a chemist at Oxford University (a rather well-known Muggle school, of sorts). Over dinner, he told us the most fascinating things about Hofmann's Rule. Admittedly, Mrs. Clearwater was already aware of quite a bit of the things he had to say; however, I don't feel that I was inconsequential to the conversation, as it was most fascinating to me.
Hofmann's rule relates to the reaction of quaternary ammonium hydroxides, and is named thus after, of course, the German organic chemist, August Wilhelm von Hofmann. In this type of reaction, hydroxides decompose on strong heating to yield water, a tertiary amine and an alkene. According to Hofmann's rule, the least substitued alkene is formed preferentially.
I wonder if Professor Snape hasn't done some researching on Muggle Chemistry. It would certainly be of great use to him, and I feel that this would definitely be an exemplary initiative for a Potions Master to take. I think that Gibbs's adsorption theorem, for instance, would be an excellent read for Professor Snape, and all other up and coming Potions-enthusiasts.
Solutes concentrated at the surface of a solvent tend to lower the surface tension of the solvent. Of course, the converse tendency also applies. The exact relationship between adsorption and surface tension was derived by Gibbs in 1878, and, later, independently by the British mathematical physicist, Thomson, in 1888. However, it remains known as the Gibbs adsorption equation, and so I refer to it as thus.
At any rate, the evening certainly stimulated my thirst for knowledge, and I've just spent two hours searching 'the Internet' for more information about this. Unfortunately, it seems that there are very few enthusiasts in the way of Chemistry/Potions relations, and I have not come up with much. I have discovered that this week in the history of Chemistry, Selman Abraham Waksman isolated streptomycin in 1943. However, while that is interesting to mark on my calendar, I am much more interested in finding theorems to relate to Potions.
Alas, Mr. Davidson is, of course, a Muggle, and thusly I cannot seek him out to learn more about the relations in this matter, as he thinks that I am a Muggle as well. Hopefully Professor Snape has researched this matter before and can pass along some helpful information to me.
Things at the Ministry are as busy as ever. With my new research on the proper amount of twigs in each racing broom, I've discovered that the Andretti 2004 prototype has an absurd amount of twigs in it. While the twigs are professed to be Self-Straightening and Self-Trimming, the weight required to do these things demands an especially large amount of twigs, which will merely slow the broomstick down. Meanwhile, the new Firebolts have a great deal less twigs, which makes for much better handling and lightweight airtime.
Honestly, I am still not entirely sure why I have been assigned the task of racing brooms for the time being, but I suppose that, as with every job, it shall be made to work. I do enjoy a game of Quidditch. I suppose that it is something one picks up, having been a Gryffindor at Hogwarts. However, I am not so enthusiastic that I have a favourite team, like my brothers. Ronald's room has always been bright orange in favour of his Quidditch team, the Chadley Canyons, and I think that is rather atrocious. One day he will get over this phase, and he will likely be rather depressed to find that everything he owns is still orange. A little decorum, Ronald.
At any rate, I must return to my search. I, like so many explorers before me, shall not relent until I find my quest.
Tally-ho!
This colleague, a Mr. Jonah Davidson, is evidently a chemist at Oxford University (a rather well-known Muggle school, of sorts). Over dinner, he told us the most fascinating things about Hofmann's Rule. Admittedly, Mrs. Clearwater was already aware of quite a bit of the things he had to say; however, I don't feel that I was inconsequential to the conversation, as it was most fascinating to me.
Hofmann's rule relates to the reaction of quaternary ammonium hydroxides, and is named thus after, of course, the German organic chemist, August Wilhelm von Hofmann. In this type of reaction, hydroxides decompose on strong heating to yield water, a tertiary amine and an alkene. According to Hofmann's rule, the least substitued alkene is formed preferentially.
I wonder if Professor Snape hasn't done some researching on Muggle Chemistry. It would certainly be of great use to him, and I feel that this would definitely be an exemplary initiative for a Potions Master to take. I think that Gibbs's adsorption theorem, for instance, would be an excellent read for Professor Snape, and all other up and coming Potions-enthusiasts.
Solutes concentrated at the surface of a solvent tend to lower the surface tension of the solvent. Of course, the converse tendency also applies. The exact relationship between adsorption and surface tension was derived by Gibbs in 1878, and, later, independently by the British mathematical physicist, Thomson, in 1888. However, it remains known as the Gibbs adsorption equation, and so I refer to it as thus.
At any rate, the evening certainly stimulated my thirst for knowledge, and I've just spent two hours searching 'the Internet' for more information about this. Unfortunately, it seems that there are very few enthusiasts in the way of Chemistry/Potions relations, and I have not come up with much. I have discovered that this week in the history of Chemistry, Selman Abraham Waksman isolated streptomycin in 1943. However, while that is interesting to mark on my calendar, I am much more interested in finding theorems to relate to Potions.
Alas, Mr. Davidson is, of course, a Muggle, and thusly I cannot seek him out to learn more about the relations in this matter, as he thinks that I am a Muggle as well. Hopefully Professor Snape has researched this matter before and can pass along some helpful information to me.
Things at the Ministry are as busy as ever. With my new research on the proper amount of twigs in each racing broom, I've discovered that the Andretti 2004 prototype has an absurd amount of twigs in it. While the twigs are professed to be Self-Straightening and Self-Trimming, the weight required to do these things demands an especially large amount of twigs, which will merely slow the broomstick down. Meanwhile, the new Firebolts have a great deal less twigs, which makes for much better handling and lightweight airtime.
Honestly, I am still not entirely sure why I have been assigned the task of racing brooms for the time being, but I suppose that, as with every job, it shall be made to work. I do enjoy a game of Quidditch. I suppose that it is something one picks up, having been a Gryffindor at Hogwarts. However, I am not so enthusiastic that I have a favourite team, like my brothers. Ronald's room has always been bright orange in favour of his Quidditch team, the Chadley Canyons, and I think that is rather atrocious. One day he will get over this phase, and he will likely be rather depressed to find that everything he owns is still orange. A little decorum, Ronald.
At any rate, I must return to my search. I, like so many explorers before me, shall not relent until I find my quest.
Tally-ho!