Kind of a Putz

Regular reader may recall the various times these missives have asserted that one can measure material progress of humanity writ large by cataloging the entries into the periodic table. And, by contradiction, the slow down in invention since the periodic table was completed; at least of the stable natural elements. That observation was, sort of, contradicted by pointing out that organic chemistry is different, in that polymerization supports molecules of, I will suppose, infinite size and number based on carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and the occasional Other. Better living through Plastics, that "one word, Daniel".

Today's NYT offers an obituary of a signal organic chemist, who devised new catalytic processes that have made it possible to attach new Others to the base elements.

Traditionally, organic chemists largely limited themselves to molecules using the 10 or so elements found in organic compounds. Dr. Negishi said that he and others had "realized that we should make sure of the entire periodic table."

From my fingers to God's ear.

As to the title of this missive, it turns out that Negishi was in it for the Nobel. And he carried the medallion in his wallet!

"When he got his Nobel Prize, he became nicer," Dr. Tour said. "He'd take his wallet out of his pocket, and protruding from his wallet was the Nobel Prize medallion."

Dr. Tour said Dr. Negishi would pass the medal around and wouldn't mind if someone dropped it. "You could see the ding in one side of it," Dr. Tour said. "And he just laughed about it."