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From Caveman to Chemist: Circumstances and Achievements

Hugh Salzberg, ACS, 1991, ISBN 0-8412-1787-4, 294 p.

Quiz

I want to know that you actually read the book before writing your paper. I will reassure myself by means of the following scheme. When you decide that you are going to read the book, come to me and I will give you a bookmark containing three sentences. As you read, you will spot these sentences and write their page numbers on the bookmark. Each bookmark will be different, so you can't just copy someone else's bookmark. Your bookmark must have your name and my signature on it. Turn in your bookmark with your paper as evidence that you actually read the book.

Project

For this project you will write a 4-6 page paper on a topic discussed in the book. It should be typewritten and double-spaced using a not-unreasonably-large font. Turn in two copies of your paper, one for my files and one which will be returned to you. Your paper is not a book report. It should not simply summarize points from the book. Rather, it should formulate a thesis and then support this thesis using examples from the book. You may address one of the following topics or make up your own.

Many people consider alchemy to be simply an outdated forrunner of chemistry. Argue for or against this position using examples from the book. What does it mean for one discipline to be "correct" and the other to be "incorrect?"
Some chemical discoveries have been made by wealthy intellectuals and others by tradespeople. Take an example of each from the book, comparing and contrasting these discoveries. Is there a pattern to the kinds of discoveries made by these two classes of chemists?
Compare and contrast the four-elements theory with the atomic-molecular theory. Discuss the kinds of evidence supporting each of these theories and the manner in which one of them became the foundation of modern chemistry. What does it mean for a theory to be right or wrong?
Discuss the medical applications of alchemy and chemistry using examples from the book. Has chemistry been driven by medicine or has medicine been driven by chemistry?
Alchemy, chemistry, and science developed along very different paths in China, Islam, and the west. Discuss these developments using examples from the book. Can the history of science be linked to the dominant philosophies and religions of these cultures?

Criterion for Success

I will grade your paper in the same manner and on the same scale as I do the Rhetoric Proficiency Exam. 0-3 is failing and 4-6 is passing on this scale. You may seek advice from the writing center. If you fail you may revise your paper and resubmit it. However, just as with other projects, you may attempt only one project per day.

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