Return-Path: Message-Id: <9105151444.AA05602@relay1.UU.NET> Date: 15 May 91 07:42:00 PDT From: "PETE THOMAS" Subject: Chemical elements To: "lojban-list" Status: RO X-From-Space-Date: Wed May 15 16:55:21 1991 X-From-Space-Address: cbmvax!uunet!arecibo.aero.org!pthomas >use in lay conversation, rather than internationality. Indeed, I have this >nagging suspicion that numbering the damn things will do just find (the >one-eight-chemical-primitive, rather than "Argon"). Have we given this any >consideration? This was my first thought when I saw the whole thread. This is a culturally neutral, unambiguous way of representing a chemical element. However, I think we need to be able to say: x1 is-an-atom with x2 protons and x2 neutrons (or something to that effect). Once we can describe isotopes, we need some way of describing chemical compounds, etc., but whatever structures exist for combination can be used. --Pete