One of the few equations that I remember from my school days was concerning the bleaching action of Chlorine. That which I recall is Sodium Thiosulphate + Chlorine gives Sodium Chloride plus Sodium Tetrathionate.

How much more impact the symmetry of such equations would be if only they could be accompanied by a series of memorable images, such as those deployed by the wonderful dance sequences of Busby Berkeley.

The process would of course result in the entire periodic table having to be carefully constructed by teams of dancers and filmed (for those who are unfamiliar with the Busby Berkeley method, it's best to look at some of the links)

Clusters of "atoms" would be further choreographed into a large number of basic compounds like water, salts, acids, gases etc.

The visual interaction of these substances is then just a simple manner of filming, from above of course, the various individual dancers as they swirl around changing places, and forming new arrangements.

Giant compounds such as petrochemicals would be a particular challenge, but then that's the joy of Busby Berkeley. Once seen, never forgotten.
-- xenzag, Jul 13 2009

Busby Berkeley http://www.youtube....watch?v=aKPcW5LKab0
typical sequence [xenzag, Jul 13 2009]

broken hearted beware http://www.youtube....watch?v=3Q59ZncmAtQ
[daseva, Jul 14 2009]

how aromas work http://health.howst...orks.com/smell1.htm
[po, Jul 14 2009]

funny the one I remember was the photosynthesis equation. o/t would a synthetic (so to speak) photosynthesis be expensive - think of the sugar we could create and the carbon we could capture. if this is total rubbish, sorry it's early and I'm still half in my dream where I nearly lost my huge plush gorilla.
-- po, Jul 14 2009


Sounds like a successful dream, po. 'Nearly' is better than breaking even in many of mine.. Oh, and cue one of the best Magnetic Fields songs ever. <linky>
-- daseva, Jul 14 2009


[Po], are you thinking of actually consuming the sugar or stockpiling it in submarine caverns?
As to the idea, i did something similar to demonstrate the structure of aromatic compounds and alkaloids when i was teaching herbalism in order to exploit kinesthetic learning styles. It worked quite well, but you really need an amputee.
-- nineteenthly, Jul 14 2009


Perhaps one of our more learned contributors could check the validity of the equation... I know it's not balanced for a start.
-- xenzag, Jul 14 2009


I like [nineteenthly]'s approach - The Jury's out, but I think I lean towards a kinesthetic learning style and while I'm not sure spinning round with my arms out would give me an exact idea as to what it's like to *be* an aromatic compound¹ , it does sound like fun.

Sorry [xenzag] my chemical knowledge is medieval at best, so if it's not "one parte fulphur, one parte blankende woode, 7 partf faltpetre, mixde to finn a powdre" then it's beyond me.

¹ thinking about it, the first thing I'd want to experience in terms of learning about aromatics is how they impart their aroma - that is, they are special because they smell - so how does that process work, and what it is about their chemical organisation, and that interaction with my nose that makes one thing smelly and another thing not.
-- zen_tom, Jul 14 2009


no, not consuming it all myself, silly but perhaps using it as part of those packages that they send in emergencies to people who are in need of nourishment.
-- po, Jul 14 2009


OK, well that's a laudable aim of course, but it will turn back into carbon dioxide when it gets metabolised. Not that it isn't worth it. What about algae and leafu?
-- nineteenthly, Jul 14 2009


how long between sending packages and what you call metabolised?
-- po, Jul 14 2009


Depends how hungry you are, I think.
-- pertinax, Jul 14 2009


This dance has motion, it has chemistry, it has enthalpic reaction...
-- RayfordSteele, Jul 15 2009


delightful
-- ryokan, Jul 16 2009


Well, [po], i suppose what could be done is to store carbon in the form of extra human biomasse, so you offset emissions by increasing the population.
-- nineteenthly, Jul 16 2009


cool!
-- calculust, Jul 17 2009



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