A Tale of Seven Elements

In 1913, English physicist Henry Moseley established an elegant method for 'counting' the elements. Soon afterwards, it became clear that there were precisely seven elements missing from the periodic table--those that had yet to be isolated among the 92 naturally occurring elements from hydrogen (#1) to uranium (#92). In A Tale of Seven Elements, Eric Scerri will present the discovery of those seven elements, five of which are radioactive and three or possibly four of were first isolated by women. The book covers a period roughly spanning the two world wars, beginning with the discovery of protactinium in 1917 and ending with that of promethium in 1945. In some cases, the state of war directly influenced attempts to isolate some of the seven elements--this is true of protactinium, when, in 1916, its discoverer, Lise Meitner, wrote of the problems she encountered in purchasing even the most basic items of laboratory equipment. During the second war, the discovery of nuclear fission, also by Meitner and her associates, quickly led to the development of the nuclear weapons program and the associated technologies of particle accelerators. Clearly, scientific discoveries occur within a social and political context and the discovery of the seven elements is no exception. This book draws together for the first time the fascinating stories of the discoveries of these seven elements, placing them in historical context.
"Scerri's vivid storytelling, and the letters and journals he quotes, allow us to see chemistry, and science generally, as an essentially historical enterprise-a human adventure that shows the best, and sometimes the worst, of human nature. -- from the preface by Oliver Sacks

"Few areas of chemistry have inspired such a competitive spirit and bruised so many egos as the discovery of new elements. Chemists will enjoy reading Scerri's illuminating and detailed account of the personal, political, and scientific tensions behind the true discoveries and the vanishing of many false identifications." -- Peter Atkins

"highly recommended for all curious science readers and historians of science" -- Library Journal

"Reading this book is like going away on holiday to an obscure little place you'd never normally think of visiting, and finding it packed with local interest and charm. Who would have thought that this odd collection of little-known elements would have so many stories to tell, so many characters and intrigues and eccentricities? For anyone curious about chemistry, it's a trip I can warmly recommend." -- Philip Ball, author of Elements, A Very Short Introduction and Molecules, A Very Short Introduction.

"Scerri details the fascinating backstories of the discoverers and discoveries of the last seven chemical elements in this engaging scientific history." --Publishers Weekly

"If you wish to deepen your understanding of the nature of the elements, and the nature of the men and women who made it their business to discover them, you can't go wrong with this delightful volume from the preeminent authority on the history and philosophy of the periodic table." -- Theodore Gray, Popular Science columnist and author of The Elements, Mad Science, and Mad Science 2

"Attractive, Promising Reassessment Frames Particularly Helpful Teaching.
In short, an intriguing and worthwhile book!" -- Martyn Poliakoff FRS, The UnivPREFACE: WHAT CONSTITUTES THE DISCOVERY OF AN ELEMENT? ; CHAPTER 1. ; DALTON, TO THE DISCOVERY OF THE PERIODIC SYSTEM ; CHAPTER 2. ; VAN DEN BROEK, MOSELEY AND THE MISSING SEVEN ELEMENTS. ; CHAPTER 3. ; ELEMENT 91, PROTACTINIUM ; CHAPTER 4. ; ELEMENT 72, HAFNIUM ; CHAPTER 5. ; ELEMENT 75, RHENIUM ; CHAPTER 6. ; ELEMENT 43, TECHNETIUM ; CHAPTER 7. ; ELEMENT 87, FRANCIUM ; ELEMENT 8. ; ELEMENT 85, ASTATINE ; CHAPTER 9. ; ELEMENT 61, PROMETHIUM