Tuesday, February 02, 2010

15th February

For our third meeting of term we continue our readings on alchemy and chemistry with selections from Primo Levi and Oliver Sacks (details below). A photocopy of the readings is available in the Whipple Library boxfile. We meet as usual from 7.30-9pm in room G03 of the Mary Allan Building, Homerton College. All welcome!

Primo Levi, L'altrui mestiere (1985).  Translated by Raymond Rosenthal as Other People's Trades.  Michael Joseph Ltd, London, 1989. This is a collection of short essays, which originally appeared in the Turin newspaper La Stampa.  We will look at "The Mark of the Chemist" (pp. 86-90), "The Language of Chemists (I)" (pp. 100-105), "The Language of Chemists (II)" (pp. 106-110), "Ex-Chemist" (pp. 174-176)

Two chapters from Oliver Sacks' memoir, Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood (2001). Reprinted by Picador, London, 2002. Chapter 7, "Chemical Recreations" (pp. 67-76) Chapter 8, "Stinks and Bangs" (pp. 77-90)

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