Page 63 - Where the Dream Ends ebook
P. 63

(First Interlude)



                      Chemistry 101





                              1. Ruthenium


           Most likely you’ve never heard of ruthenium. Ruthenium
        is an element.

           In case you don’t remember anything about chemistry, an
        element  is the fundamental, essential,  irreducible,  most ba-
        sic part of anything; at least it was until scientists discovered
        something more basic. If you’re old enough, you remember
        how in high school physics they taught us that neutrons, pro-
        tons and electrons were as basic as things got? Didn’t take long
        to blow that theory out of the textbooks, did it?

           Frankly, I think scientists make it up as they go along. Take
        the sky for example. They say there are billions of galaxies out


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