Sometimes.. you just feel like Thulium.. .. Tonight we were looking at the table of the elements place mat that all three kids learned to eat solid foot above.. It’s a rather faded.. somewhat dated snapshot of the state  of physical chemistry circa 1988 when Max was born. It stops demurely at 109 elements.. rather than today’s boastful 118 .   The mysterious spinach (for iron) and banana (for potassium) are there but faded.. I remember so well feeding the kids as they sat in high chair.. going off on this or that element and its properties.

We have the mat  (one tee) out because Matt (two tee’s) and his sister Britt are taking chemistry at the local community college.   Matt likes to quiz me on the use and properties of the various elements..

Today we talked about ‘Thulium’.. I read somewhere that Thulium is considered by some to be the ‘least useful element’.. What a designation to live down.. I happen to know that Thulium provides a very important green line in the phosphors used in florescent tubes.

Without Thulium’s charms, we would look even more ghastly under florescent light.. I also just read it’s used as a bremstrallung target in mobile X-ray devices.. now how cool is that ?!?!?!

I would submit to you that on some days, everyone feels a little like thulium  .. a little useless.. a little out of place..

but consider this.. without thulium, the world would be more badly lit..

Let us all aspire to keep the world lit well.. and contribute our own particular color to the light…as not to make everyone look bad

Go Thulium.. we love you

love you too, sam

-me

Ps. On Saturday I’m going to jump in Lake Champlain in support of Vermont Special Olympics. if you’d like to sponsor me, please visit this link