Great Thinkers: Dimitri Mendeleev

Dimitri  Mendeleev, often known as the father of the periodic table was born in 1834, in Russia. Mendeleev was the youngest of more than ten children. His father was a teacher of fine arts, philosophy, and politics. However his father became blind, and lost his job leaving his mother to provide for the family. Tragically the factory his mother worked in burned down, and the mother's last hope was to get Mendeleev into a good school.  After a far travel, the university of St. Petersburg accepted the ten year old Mendeleev, and his mother passed away shortly after that.

Later in his life, Mendeleev proposed the Periodic Law stating that the elements can be arranged periodically base on their atomic mass. At the time there were about six other scientists publishing articles about the armament of the elements, but most of the credit goes to Mendeleev, because his methods was the most accurate. Surprisingly, only about 56 out of the 96 natural occurring elements were discovered at the time. Mendeleev was literally obsessed with the idea that the elements could be arranged in a perfect table that makes sense. He even said he saw the complete periodic table in dreams. He would then have sheets of paper with elements characteristics written on them, and he would arrange them for hours on end in frustration. He would notice that elements with similar properties had similar differences in weight, but beyond that his work wasn't getting him anywhere since the only numerical property he could work with was the atomic mass (protons and electron were not yet discovered, and Mendeleev himself didn't believe in atoms). Finally he realized that it there were simply elements missing, and with that he started leaving gaps in his table.

However, this feat in itself was not what makes his work amazing. Once he knew where elements were missing, he started predicting the properties of the missing elements. No one knew the details of the elements as well as Mendeleev. His obsession drove him crazy, and when a French scientist named Paul Boisbaudran claimed to have found an element, and published it's properties. Mendeleev was outraged, and claimed that he found the element before him. He than proceeded to claim that the element's atomic mass was something else, and when Boisbaudran recalculated the mass it turned out that Mendeleev did know more about the element than the discoverer did himself. In total Mendeleev correctly predicted five different elements. Two of the elements he predicted were not discovered until 50 years later! This is probably the most badass thing to ever happen in the chemistry world.

Today the periodic table is used by scientists all over the world. The periodic table helps us understand the properties of the elements, and it helps us predict reactions that occur. Mendeleev's contribution to the scientific world supported many other scientists in their studies. He also studied petroleum production, coal mining, and and agricultural practices. He also  acted as a government consultant for issues such as gunpowder production, and terifs. Over the past century, our understanding of elements, and the atomic world, has evolved dramatically considering that in our current model of an atom was only established in 1932. Dimitri Mendeleev is most certainly a thinker that used some aspects of rationality to study pur world, and give us a better understanding of it.

Macbeth Soliloquies

Soliloquy Number One: "Two Truths Are Told"

What Macbeth says in summary:
He brings himself aside, and thinks out loud that two of the witches' predictions came true. He became Thane of Cawdor, and now he contemplates how the witches' third prediction will come true. He exclaims that the thought of him becoming king is getting him excited. Murdering the king, and obtaining the throne had once seemed like a a foolish fantasy, but if the witches speak the truth than it may be possible for him to pull off.

What this does for the play:
This soliloquy sets in stone the idea that the witches are real, and it foreshadows that the play is going to become very dark. Macbeth lets out his true feelings about how he wants to be king, and let's the audience understand Macbeth's thinking when all these crazy things are happening.  This soliloquy is also a fork in the roadway for the play, as Macbeth is questioning his own intentions. He wants to be a good person, but he feels that he isn't cut for it, because his desires are two strong.

Soliloquy Number Two: "The Raven Himself Is Hoarse"

What Lady Macbeth says in summary:
She asks the spirits to make her more of a man than a woman, and to make her feel no remorse so she can go though with the plan.

What this does for the play:
This soliloquy reveals that Lady Macbeth is a very dark person. In a way it's a plot twist, because the audience would stereotype the beautiful Lady Macbeth, and think that she is a nice woman. However, when Lady Macbeth violently denounces her womanhood, the audience is left with a whole new impression of her, and it is clear that she is on par with the witches.

Soliloquy Number Three: "If It Were Done, When 'Tis Done"

What Macbeth says in summary:
He says that if he is going to murder the king,than he should do it before he chickens out. He contemplates about what would happen if he carries out the deed. Bad things could happen in effect if the king dies. Macbeth also feels a bit bad, because the king trusts him.

What this does for the play:
This soliloquy extends the drama of Macbeth's decision making. Macbeth is constantly backing out of the plan, and this gives the audience hope that maybe Macbeth won't go though with the plan. The added reasons why Macbeth shouldn't kill the king will make his crime much more unthinkable in the long run.

Soliloquy Number Four: "The Dagger"

What Macbeth says in summary:
Macbeth tries to reach for a dagger in front of him, but can't grasp it, because it he is hallucinating. He says he sees it because he is about to murder the king. He than concludes that he should get the jog done before he backs out again.

What this does for the play:
This soliloquy spoken by Macbeth is the turning point in the play. Macbeth starts hallucinating about a dagger, and he reaches out for it. This shows his obsession, and desire for killing the king to obtain power. If we were to compare the play the "Hero's Journey" than this would be the point were he enters the abnormal realm. Macbeth has made his choice which path on the road to take, and won't back out his time.

Soliloquy Number Five: "To Be Thus Is Nothing"

What Macbeth says in summary:
There is no point of him becoming king if he is going to be knocked off the thrown so easily. He is afraid of Banquo, because Banquo is smart, and righteous. He also fears Banquo, because the witches said Banquo's sons were to be kings.

What this does for the play:
If we were to compare this to the "Hero's Journey" this is one of the series of quests Macbeth has to do in the other realm. In order for Macbeth to remain king, he has to eliminate any other threats to the throne.  It also let's the audience know that there are worse crimes to come, and that the play won't stop with one murder.  On top of all this, it adds drama, and makes the play much darker. Macbeth is now plotting the murder of his best friend, and he doesn't even stutter at the thought. This shows that he is completely immersed in his obsession for power, and will stop at nothing to secure his place on the throne.