The Disappearing Spoon: Chapter 5 Summary and Reflection

In this chapter of Disappearing Spoon, the author starts of with a background story of World War 1 and 2 and discusses the basics of chemical warfare and it's role in the wars. The author talks about the first major elements played with in chemical warfare experimenting: Bromine and Chlorine. Elements were transformed into gas shells by Fritz Haber and were thrown between France and Germany. However, with experimentation came greater and much dangerous technology. Scientists began to experiment with nitrogen but their efforts were stopped short due to the appreciation of metal weaponry. Elements like molybdenum were talked about in being used to help strengthen metals of guns, such as Big Berthas. However, tungsten swiftly took over the strengthening factor in weaponry. The chapter concluded with a quick history and the use of metals in cell phones. This chapter was pretty sweet to me since I'm a military kid. I loved how it brought science into the development of military tactics and warfare. I never knew how important chemical warfare was and how much of a affect it had on the war. This was defiantly an awesome chapter for me.