Today is the first anniversary of the Ukraine War.  I was planning to have a long review today, but decided to skip that because all the news channels have special programs.  Instead, let me only mention that  China has become the peacemaker , calling for a cease-fire and open talks as part of a 12-point proposal to end the conflict. The plan issued Friday morning by the Foreign Ministry also urges the end of Western sanctions imposed on Russia, measures to ensure nuclear facilities, the establishment of humanitarian corridors for the evacuation of civilians and steps to ensure the export of grain, after disruptions caused global food prices to spike .  (To the left, China's foreign policy chief Wan Yi with Vladimir Putin.) I wasn't planning to have a three-part hydrogen series, but I yesterday gave a travel talk at 15 Craigside on our Regent Seven Seas cruise from Dubai to Singapore, and remember well another talk I gave in Japan in the 1990's, which was a disaster,...

From  Worldometer  (new  COVID-19 deaths yesterday):           DAY    USA    WORLD      Brazil      India      South Africa 2020 June     9     1093     4732         1185        246       82 July    22      1205     7128         1293      1120     572 Aug    12      1504     6556        1242        835     130 Sept     9      1208      6222       1136       1168       82 Oct     21      1225      6849         571        70...

Scientists have been speculating on an even lighter element than Hydrogen .  Will this revolutionize chemistry? How can this be?  Hydrogen has just one proton and one electron. Well, Muonium also has an electron.... BUT NO PROTON .  There is an antimuon inside, which is lighter than a proton. The reason why you don't see Muonium in the Table of Elements is that it is not an element, for it is energetically impossible for this antimuon to transform into a proton. Thus the answer to the title above is NO. Might also mention Positronium, to be defined next. Some background. Back to hydrogen, its simplest isotope deuterium has one electron, one proton and one neutron, while tritium has one electron, one proton and two neutrons.   Sorry to keep bringing up these terms, but hydrogen is also known as protium There are 90 naturally-occurring elements on Earth, plus 18 or so other artificial ones. Muonium is artificial. Has one electron.  No proton or neutron. The n...

Nostalgic Tuesday finds me in a travel mood.  First, I'm soon to leave for Sydney to catch a Seabourn cruise to Honolulu.  For sure, I'll break that record, which was 24 drinks from Honolulu to Bangkok.  But the cruise will take 53 days, and my flight from Honolulu to Bangkok was completed in less than 24 hours.  I'm planning another around the world trip next year, but I don't see any legs as long as the  one in 2011 , which I am resurrecting today.   That photo above was my last view of Kauai, as I was headed on to Tokyo. This was my first flight on a first class around the world trip via Star Alliance:   Today I begin my final   ash scattering journey .  I'll be stopping through Bangkok, Tokyo, Zurich, Amsterdam, Stockholm, London, Sao Paulo, Rio, Buenos Aires, Lima, Cuzco, Machu Picchu, Las Vegas, Reno, and San Francisco.   The Honolulu to Bangkok leg included a stop in Tokyo, which now puzzles me a bit, for this type of ti...

  This is one of those Mondays when I couldn't figure out what to say.  Some of you went to work, and found out you had this President's Day off.  Sure,  President Joe Biden made an unprecedented visit to Kyiv , and that was noteworthy.  Our 98-year former president,  Jimmy Carter , is resting reasonably well. What else?  The weather is fine in much of the world, especially the USA.  This is also  World Day of Social Justice , and  Carnival Monday .  Think Mardi Gras.   13 years ago I walked out of my hotel into downtown Munich and experienced an incredible celebration, called  Fasching , which in most of southwest Germany is a kind of a one-day Mardi Gras celebrated today.  People are walking around drinking from full bottles of wine, and many are gaudily dressed.  Everything is tolerated by officials.  I also had one of my  Best Lunches  that day. In the U.S. this is  National Cherry Pi...