Chapter 11 DS summary

Even with the massive compilation of information about elements that we have, they continue to surprise us. Pure nitrogen gas, for instance, is a silent and peaceful killer and took the lives of two technicians working on the spacecraft the Columbia. Another surprising element is titanium - despite the fact that it is metal, our bodies seem to not reject it, making it ideal for implants of every kind. Elements can not only deceive our immune systems, but also our sensory systems. Beryllium tastes like sugar to our taste buds even though the molecules share no similarities in their shape. Potassium triggers our salt-sensing taste buds because, interestingly enough, they detect the charges on ions rather than an element or nutrient specifically. Iodine is another element that scientists have discovered has medical merit, to the point where most governments made iodized salt mandatory as it was the easiest way to prevent birth defects and mental disabilities among the masses although, ironically, Gandhi's peaceful Salt March led to a decline in this and a sharp decline in birth defects in India.