Periodic Table

Periodic Table Reflection
The first chapter was almost impossible to follow due to all of the Hebrew and the large words that Primo Levi uses. The gratuitous use of Hebrew language really took away from the meaning of the first chapter. His use of language and even the writing style seemed to change after the first chapter, Argon. The book seemed to be a mix of stories that were put together to tell the story of Primo’s life. The friendship he finds throughout the book made me feel warm inside, because I knew what he had to go through in Auschwitz. My favorite part of the book had to be Primo’s random travels into the Alps of Italy. I have always wanted to go to the Alps, so this was just another way for me to experience the Alps through someone else eyes. I was amazed at the amount of detail taken into consideration for all of the sections of the book. The part with the lab beaker exploding due to left over potassium that mixed with water in the air. He actually went back and looked for clues to tell him what went wrong. This tells me that he is not self-absorbed because he is willing to write about a mistake he made. He then tells his superior of what happened when he did not need to, this shows that he had a great deal or respect and was very responsible. One thing that really surprised me was that he did not seem to make friends very easily. I do not know how he can remember all that has happened throughout his life. I would think that he would try to block out his past due to the torturous nature of the death camps, but he embraces his past and wants to share it with others. Primo Levi confused me with his constant comparison of fascism to chemistry. I could not grasp the concept that he was trying to convey by comparing the two. I am amazed by chemistry and the way things are put together, so I enjoyed reading his stories of the chemistry labs and all the stuff he made.

Outside Event #1

This particular event was a speaker talking about the importance of arguments and its components. They tested a group of students on their understanding of the concepts of an argument and compared their results. The results were very interesting. The speaker was a woman from another college who was an expert on the subject. She made up a curriculum to teach the students how to better understand the arguments and its parts. The whole thing made me feel awkward because she was talking about the material like everyone should know about it, and I was partially lost throughout the presentation. The other thing that made me feel awkward was the fact that, other than Casey and Jessica, I was the only person in the room that was under the age of 25 (a guess). There was one student and one professor that asked all the questions throughout the presentation. There were moments where we all laughed and the presentation was very well though out. The data made sense and was well put together. The presentation made me think of how much I don't know about arguments and their importance in every day life.

What If #7

What if I didn't sprain my ankle 2 hours into spring break? I might be out doing something instead of dragging my foot everywhere. My injury came about due to my friend’s basketball goal being located next to a hill. The hill starts at the far edge of his driveway and there is a small plastic wall sticking out of the ground to stop erosion onto his driveway. I went in for a layup and came down onto the plastic piece; my foot rolled and then hit the concrete. All of about 180 pounds plus gravity fell on my then completely sideways ankle. Needless to say, I could not walk for about a day, and it still effects me almost 3 days later. Luckily for me, it is spring break and I did not have an trips planned, so I have plenty of time to heal. It just sucks when you are looking forward to freedom for the weekend and you screw it all up. My week is going to be spent working on English and Chemistry homework. I want to get my homework out of the way so I can enjoy my spring break and be able to study for my biology test on Tuesday. I still enjoyed my weekend with my friends; I just could not run anywhere. I had to wobble everywhere we went and I slowed us all down. After the accident when I could not walk, I began to truly appreciate the drive-thru at fast food restaurants, they saved my life! This also made me think of all those who cannot walk at all, it would make me very depressed to never be able to walk again, to deal with the pain forever… I would not be able to take it, but I am healing and will be able to run around in a day or so, hopefully.

What If #6

What if we had never made it into space? We would not be as far into our technological advancement if not for our space travel. Velcro was perfected by NASA for use by the space program. It allowed for an astronaut to stick something to his or her suit and not have to worry about it floating off of what would have been some sort of hook. So next time you use something with Velcro, thank NASA. A list of other inventions originating in space are: satellite dishes, medical imaging (CAT scanner/MRI), vision screening system( the big E at the top), the ear thermometer, fire fighter equipment, smoke detectors, sun tiger glasses, automobile design tools, cordless tools. aerodynamic bike wheels, thermal ware, space pens, shock absorbing helmets, ski boots, failsafe flashlights, invisible braces, edible toothpaste, joystick controllers, and advanced plastics. The list is massive, and none of these would have come about if not for our push to be the first nation into space. Can you remember those little freeze-dried balls of ice cream called Dippin' Dots? Those were invented for astronauts while they are in space. NASA even helped develop a process for new-age pavement where old tires are cooled to below -200 degrees Fahrenheit to separate the elements that make up the tire. Specific parts of the tire can then be used to make new pavement. All those who wear glasses can appreciate NASA's work on scratch resistant glass. On the medical side, NASA helped develop the technology that allowed the satellites to send signals and receive updates remotely without having to make contact with the dish. This led to the wireless capability of pacemakers to send signals to doctors without them having to open up the patient. Last but certainly not least are your "kicks". The soles of your shoes are most likely composed of viscoelastic bubbles that are designed to contour to your feet as you apply pressure and then return to normal. The technology derived from NASA's material that was used to cushion astronauts during the high G forces of liftoff.

What If #5

What if I had a super car? Which one would I pick? At the moment, the Ferrari F430 and the Lamborghini Gallardo come to mind. What car would you have? There are so many choices when it comes to very nice cars. These include: Dodge Viper SRT-10, Ferrari F430, Lamborghini Murcielago or Gallardo, Buggati Veyron, SC Ultimate Aero, Audi R8, Porsche 911 or GT series, Mercedes McLaren SLR 722, Pagani Zonda, Aston Martin Vanquish, the list goes on and on. But my dream car has to be the Lamborghini Gallardo. The Gallardo may not be the most expensive of the list, but it would have to be the most fun to drive. The thrill of going almost 200mph down streets in a Lamborghini instead of 45mph in my Honda Civic would be crazy. The Gallardo would cost about $220,000 with the e-gear, carbon ceramic brakes, navigation, and other options. This car will drain your wallet, but that is why it is called a dream car, money isn't in issue in your dreams. Driving a super car would be tons of fun, but if I had a choice, I would rather have a fighter jet. But that is another dream. The Lamborghini Gallardo LP 560-4, the current model of Gallardo, sports a 5.2L V10 direct injected power plant that provides 552 horsepower and 398 foot pounds of torque. The Gallardo can reach from 0 to 62mph in 3.7 seconds and 120mph in 11.8 seconds. I have no idea where I could take advantage of all that horsepower, because there are not many straight roads around Memphis that aren't patrolled by cops or are way too busy at all times. Just the looks of the car alone is enough to make me want to buy one. If I ever have a few hundred thousand bucks laying around, I'll be sure to go pick one up, preferably a black one.

What If #4

What if the periodic table made any sense? It might be much easier to read. Why does Primo Levi constantly compare fascism to chemistry? The guy cannot seem to keep writing on one thing for a whole chapter. His language seems very loaded and the words only seem to confuse me even further. It would be more interesting and easier to understand if half the book wasn't written in Hebrew. I like the plot so far, it is just that he cannot keep it going, I understand what he is getting at but I have to sit down and decipher each page. I can normally read about 50 pages in an hour, but I have been reading this book for almost 3 days, and I'm still on page 65. I have great respect for Primo Levi and have empathy for him and what he had to go through, but I have to say that I am not enjoying this book so far. I can only hope it gets better as I read further. Did anybody else make any sense out of the first ten pages of the book? There are just too many people and Hebrew words to keep up with. This book is going to be very difficult to finish reading by the fourth. I do not know how I am going to do it, but I will push on.