Re: The Tao of the Periodic Table

[Rene]

As flagged, I’ve attached the chapter summaries.

Chapters 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7 are currently open for contributors.

If something else comes to your mind I expect there could be flexibility to adapt to your interests and expertise. Co-authored contributions are also welcome.

I’m happy to discuss or explore questions either here or via personal mail.

thank you, René

The flow of ideas currently looks like this:

• Western rationalism (in which the periodic table originated) and Eastern mysticism are defined and characterised, and their relevance noted (Chapter 1).
• In this dualistic context, the basics of the table in terms of its scope, dimensionality, variations (2–4) and philosophical status are examined (5–7).
• Proceeding inwards, the workings of the table and parallels to concepts from Eastern mysticism are uncovered (8–11).
• Continuing the West-East dichotomy, novel applications, and misapplications of the table are analysed (12, 13, 14).
• Looking back, the contrast between rationalism and mysticism, in their application to the periodic table, is reconciled and compared to the first period of Greek philosophy 500’s BCE).
• At that time there was not so much focus on a requisite separation of science, philosophy and religion, and elements of “mysticism” coexisted with rationalism (15).
• 
  

[Larry T.]

I shared the Tao idea with Conal Boyce, who is an expert on China.

See his response and the attachment below.

Best Regards,

V. "Larry" Tsimmerman

email: ora...@gmail.com

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Conal Boyce <conal...@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, Feb 27, 2024 at 9:25 AM
Subject: Re: The Tao of the Periodic Table
To: Larry T. <ora...@gmail.com>

Wow, reading that proposal is like time-traveling back to the San Francisco Hippie culture of the 1970s  -- a certain kind of completely predictable East/West nonsense that apparently must reanimate its corpse periodically over the decades.

Attached would be my "contribution" (ha-ha) to his book: The 2012 article in which I demonstrate that the Dao De Jing (or Tao Te Ching) is an overrated philosophical treatise whose text is not 'terse' as people tend to assume (thinking of Yoda-talk in the film Star Wars) but the opposite: poorly organized and about 90% redundant.

On Tue, Feb 27, 2024 at 5:45 AM Larry T. <ora...@gmail.com> wrote:

Conal,

Remember Rene's old project? He is asking for contributions.

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賈伯康

[Rene]

Thank you Larry for your initiative. Very good to hear from you Conal, and thanks for your critique.

There are several things to bear in mind.

1. At the outset, it is not my intention (in the book) to discuss whether or not parallels and analogies with Eastern Mysticism (EM) have any validity or mystical significance. I merely wish to use them, even if they may appear superficial, in an attempt to shed light on some contentious or otherwise aspects of the periodic table. Elaboration will be found in the closing notes below. 

2. EM is not limited to Chinese thought or the Tao Te Ching. EM represents a collage of practices, perspectives, thoughts and beliefs, that have come into contact with each other over time, as drawn from East and South Asia, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese Thought, and Taoism. It does not necessarily represent a cohesive philosophy. 

3. In the case of Chinese thought there is also Confucius (551–479 BCE); Mozi (c. 479–c. 381 BCE); Wang Bi (226–249 CE);  and Zen, a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the period 618 to 907 CE.

4. On the Tao Te Ching my work aims to draw from its essence rather than its form or structure.

5. Carlo Rovelli’s best-selling book, Helgoland: The Strange and Beautiful Story of Quantum Physics (2021) which almost serves as a sequel to Capra’s Tao of Physics (1975) speaks to a connection between physics and eastern philosophy.

6. Spence’s 2023  book Magisteria: The Entangled Histories of Science & Religion, focuses on the supposed conflict between science and religion, which is peripherally related to the dichotomy of science and mysticism.

Conal, I will write separately to you about the book.

René

Some closing thoughts

Meaning, coverage and intent. The word “Tao,” originating from Chinese philosophy and religion, primarily Taoism, holds both a literal and a mystical significance. Literally translated, it means “way,” “path,” or “route,” but this simple translation only touches the surface of its philosophical depth. Whereas Western “rationalism” emphasizes a distinction between the physical and spiritual, and the observer and observed, Taoism emphasizes a more non-dualistic and holistic worldview, in which all things are interconnected and interdependent. The Tao of the Periodic Table therefore seeks to illuminate aspects of the periodic table in terms of the “right” side of the dichotomy (ironically enough) between rationalism and mysticism, without implying a direct or mystical correlation between these two distinct conceptual domains.

The application of Eastern mysticism concepts serves as a metaphorical framework, not a literal parallel, designed to challenge conventional thought patterns and stimulate intellectual curiosity. It is an exercise in thinking outside the traditional paradigms of Western science, aiming to overcome potential biases and limited perspectives via the uses of tools or lenses through which the Periodic Table might be viewed from a fresh perspective. The approach is akin to the use of metaphor in literature—not to imply that the metaphor is literal truth, but to utilize it as a device to deepen understanding or appreciation of a subject.

In the realm of scientific inquiry, it is crucial to remain open to diverse methodologies and perspectives. This interdisciplinary approach can lead to innovative ideas and a more comprehensive understanding of complex concepts, which is a valuable endeavour in any field of study.

My book is an invitation to think creatively and explore new dimensions in the understanding of scientific phenomena. It is a call to view the Periodic Table not just as a chart of elements, but as an evolving map of discovery that, as a cultural icon, intersects with various realms of human thought and understanding.

2. The view from the balcony. The focus will be on the broad contours of the dichotomy between Western rationalism and Eastern mysticism, so as to provide an overall yin yang picture, rather than the nuances and fine details.

3. Elements and compounds. While the 118 elements that currently make up the periodic table are likewise characterised by a dichotomy in properties between metals and nonmetals, it is combinations of them such as salt, bicarb, potash, rare earth oxides, milk of magnesia, hemoglobin, magnetite, vitamin B12, rubies, and sapphires that contribute to making the world go ’round.

4. Science v religion? Unlike the interplay between science and religion, which saw periods of conflict and cooperation within the same cultural context,[1] Western rationalism and Eastern mysticism evolved largely independently in geographically and culturally distinct regions. There was no Eastern equivalent to the Western-style Scientific Revolution or Enlightenment, nor was there a parallel Western movement mirroring Eastern mystical traditions in their classical forms.

5. Parallel significance. In my view, the parallels between Eastern mysticism and the periodic table (or science generally) are coincidental and accidents of history.

The main factors seem to be the differing approaches of the East and the West. The West developed a largely dualistic worldview, with a clear separation between the physical and the spiritual, the creator and the creation. The East adopted a more non-dualistic and holistic worldview. In their traditions, distinctions between subject and object, observer and observed, are seen as artificial or illusory. This perspective resonates with certain interpretations of quantum physics, where the act of observation appears to play a role in determining the state of a quantum system. In Eastern mysticism, all things are interconnected and interdependent. This concept aligns with some aspects of modern physics, such as field theory in quantum mechanics, which also suggests a fundamental interconnectedness in the universe. Finally, the language used in Eastern mysticism is often abstract, metaphorical, and open to multiple interpretations. This can make it more amenable to drawing parallels with physics, which also deals with concepts that are far removed from everyday experience and often counterintuitive.

6. Geography. The two complementary perspectives can largely be attributed to geographic differences. The West, so to speak, just happened to draw the short straw.[2]

7. Kabbalah and Islamic mysticism? In this discussion of Western rationalism versus Eastern mysticism, I have deliberately chosen not to include an analysis of Kabbalah or Islamic mysticism. Kabbalah, while a significant mystical tradition, originated in medieval Judaism and later influenced Western esotericism, placing it in a different historical and cultural context from the primary focus of this book. Furthermore, while Islamic mysticism, or Sufism, is an important mystical tradition, I have excluded it for two main reasons:

1.  The Islamic Golden Age significantly contributed to the scientific corpus, intertwining with the development of rational and scientific thought in a manner distinct from the mysticism-science dynamics in East and South Asian contexts.

2.  The primary focus of this article is on “Eastern” mysticism as it has developed in regions of East and South Asia, encompassing traditions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese Thought, and Taoism. In contrast, Islamic mysticism, with its origins in the region west of modern-day Saudi Arabia, represents a different cultural and historical lineage.

 
8. Western mysticism? In The Tao of the Periodic Table, my exploration emphasizes the parallels between the periodic table and Eastern mystical traditions, particularly bearing in mind the non-dualistic nature of these traditions. This choice stems from the similarities that Eastern mysticism shares with the concepts emerging from quantum mechanics and relativity theory. Eastern philosophies, especially Taoism, Hinduism, and Buddhism, present a view of reality that transcends the conventional dualistic worldview, mirroring the quantum realm where distinctions between observer and observed, and between separate entities, blur into an interconnected whole. This non-dualistic perspective aligns remarkably well with the modern physics, which challenges our traditional notions of separated, discrete particles and points towards a more unified, interconnected cosmic fabric.

In contrast, Western mysticism, particularly within Christian traditions, often maintains a clear duality between the divine and the material world, between God and creation. While rich in its own contemplative depth and spiritual insights, this dualistic perspective offers fewer direct, natural parallels with the non-dualistic nature of quantum theory and relativity. Therefore, in seeking to illuminate the congruences between the periodic table and ancient spiritual wisdom, I found the philosophies of the East to be more directly resonant and illustrative of the ideas I wished to explore.

[1] Spencer N 2023, Magisteria: The Entangled Histories of Science & Religion, Oneworld Publications, London
[2] I look more closely at this question towards the end of Chapter 1.

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<spp221_dao_de_jing.pdf>

[Rene]

Thank you very much Conal.

I was just reading chapter 1 from the book Complementarity Beyond Physics by Bala (2017) which discusses the very conflict between scientists and postmodern and New Age critics.

Bala writes:

Remarkably both sides in the science wars came to the conclusion that Bohr’s complementarity perspective subverts scientific realism and scientific empiricism and overlook the possibility that Bohr may actually be offering a third epistemological alternative quite distinct from either of their two positions, with radically new conceptions of scientific realism and empiricism that cut across the epistemological divide separating the contestants in the science wars. Indeed we will find that this is the case, and that it provides good grounds for extending complementarity, as Bohr recommends, into areas of knowledge such as biology, psychology, and anthropology, as well as opening a dialogue with Eastern philosophical traditions.

Yes, I have a publisher who has accepted my proposal.

Re, "I just think its a strange direction to take" is an out of date perspective, as per Bala’s analysis, above.

In the book, the last chapter will be about reconciling Eastern and Western thought, along the lines of Bala’s third epistemological alternative:

Looking back, the contrast between rationalism and mysticism, in their application to the periodic table, is reconciled and compared to the first period of Greek philosophy (500’s BCE).

At that time there was not so much focus on a requisite separation of science, philosophy and religion, and elements of “mysticism” coexisted with rationalism.

I attempt to draw together the threads running through the previous fourteen chapters, and to establish an essential harmony between the spirit of Eastern wisdom and the intellect of Western science, in a periodic table context.

Like the meridians as they approach the poles, science, philosophy, and religion are bound to converge as they draw nearer the whole. [1]

[1] De Chardin T 1961, The Phenomenon of Man, Harper and Row, New York, p. 30

René

On 28 Feb 2024, at 14:33, Conal Boyce <conal...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello Rene,

Thank you for the detailed outline. At one point you mention Capra’s Tao of Physics (1975). Of roughly the same vintage, there is also Zukav, The Dancing Wu Li Masters (1979), often mentioned together with the Capra 'classic'. (Both are 'best-sellers' for sure, and even with the hoopla of '35th anniversary' editions, but what does that really mean?)

In Zukav (2001[1979]) p. 265, there is an uncredited rehash of Capra (2010[1975]) pp. 240-241. The graphic found in both Capra and Zukav (on the pages I cited) is derived from the cover of Kenneth Ford, The World of Elementary Particles (1963), which looks like this:

<image.png><image.png>

 (It's a very nice book, by the way, though obviously a bit dated. That's Kenneth on the right -- and if he doesn't look like "a theoretical physicist" who does, eh? Never saw his picture before; grabbed it just now from Google Images.)

Thus, the beginning of what I call the 'flitter-world' philosophy of California Buddhists and New Agers of the 1970s. (Being from Berkeley myself, I tend to think of it as a California phenomenon, but of course it spread far beyond California eventually.) Looking at that diagram which depicts an isolated proton splitting into a soup of "virtual particles" then snapping back into itself, as it were, such mystics drew the conclusion that physicists see the world as 'flitter-world' just the way Buddhists think about Maya: nothing is real, nothing is permanent, all is illusion, etc. Thus, "East meets West." But that is utter nonsense. 

With your background, Rene, you are in a perfect position to appreciate one of the many problems with the philosophy outlined above. Note the extreme contrast between [a] what that proton in isolation is doing in the diagram and [b] what a proton inside an ingot of bismuth-209 ingot is doing. The isolated proton may or may not do this little "Dance of the Wu Li Masters" ("virtual" is just insider physics argot, not to be taken literally by outsiders) but a proton inside a bismuth ingot will just be a proton -- lasting for about a billion times the currently calculated age of the universe. That's 'half-life' with a vengeance that turns ironically into an actual duration of interest. (Similarly, as you know, a neutron in isolation will 'decay' in about 10 or 15 minutes, whereas a neutron inside a nucleus might exist for centuries.) So the bismuth ingot suggests the very opposite of the California Buddhists' flitter-world doctrine of Maya etc. In fact, ours is a world where many objects persist essentially for all eternity. But the New Ager clamps onto the Ford cover like a tic, and won't let go. He or she doesn't realize what a tiny spec of physics and chemistry generally is represented by such a graphic, which is taken as The One Revelation of All The Secrets of Existence -- in a pretty mandala-like picture, so what else could one possibly need? 

Understandably, then, physicists have nothing nice to say about Capra and Zukov. If those books are mentioned, a physicist will quickly acknowledge their existence and move on, as if from a distasteful or embarrassing subject. 

Given your reputation as a meticulous scholar who vets and improves Wikipedia articles in the field of chemistry and has published in Foundations of Chemistry, I find it difficult to imagine why you would want to possibly 'damage' your reputation by participating in this 50-year-old Dance of the Wu Li Masters. But your outline looks very well developed, and I have the impression that you even have a publisher lined up (?), so clearly there is no turning back. I just think it's a strange direction to take.

Conal     

--

賈伯康

[René Vernon]

A colleague who has expressed in an interest in contributing to the book asked me, “There was and is eastern rationalism, too. What is special with Western vs. Eastern rationalism ?” and, “What is special with Eastern vs. Western mysticism?”

I responded: 

Since the periodic table originated within the context of Western science I feel that the use of Western rationalism is appropriate. As far as Western and Eastern mysticism is concerned here is a two-paragraph extract from what I’ve written:

“In The Tao of the Periodic Table, my exploration emphasizes the parallels between the periodic table and Eastern mystical traditions, particularly bearing in mind the non-dualistic nature of these traditions. This choice stems from the similarities that Eastern mysticism shares with the concepts emerging from quantum mechanics and [I think] relativity theory. Eastern philosophies, especially Taoism, Hinduism, and Buddhism, present a view of reality that transcends the conventional dualistic worldview, mirroring the quantum realm where distinctions between observer and observed, and between separate entities, blur into an interconnected whole. This non-dualistic perspective aligns remarkably well with modern physics, which challenges our traditional notions of separated, discrete particles and points towards a more unified, interconnected cosmic fabric.

In contrast, Western mysticism, particularly within Christian traditions, often maintains a clear duality between the divine and the material world, between God and creation. While rich in its own contemplative depth and spiritual insights, this dualistic perspective offers fewer direct, natural parallels with the non-dualistic nature of quantum theory and relativity. Therefore, in seeking to illuminate the congruences between the periodic table and ancient spiritual wisdom, I found the philosophies of the East to be more directly resonant and illustrative of the ideas I wished to explore.”

René

[johnmarks9]

Dear René,

You might find it interesting to reflect upon a ninth "closing thought", René.

I´m minded of a major preoccupation of psychiatrists, viz. the distinction between the left and right hemispheres´ modes of thinking.

There was a little monograph, "My stroke of insight" (Penguin 2008) by Dr Jill Taylor, who wrote with psychological insight upon the effects of a left-sided (´dominant´, rational hemisphere controlling the right side of the body and mediating classical "western" thinking) stroke which she suffered in 1996. She lost consciousness briefly but woke to see the world very differently - from the right-sided (´non-dominant´) hemisphere´s perspective: "eastern", holistic, emotional, interwoven, etc., etc.

It´s only a short little book but may provide valuable insight into that mystical perspective which you are seeking for the PT. 

It may indeed be the case that we have intrinsically two complementary ways of seeing the world and hence, according to Kant, two different ways of constructing it.

Regards,

John

[René Vernon]

A short note to say that another published author has agreed to author chapter 5 on the question of an ideal PT, and chapter 3 on 1D, 2D and 3D tables. I’ll pass on their details as soon as I have permission from them to do so. The only unassigned chapter for now is #2, on the periodic table or periodic system question.

Separately, the title of the book will now be, for marketing purposes, “The Tao of the Periodic Table: Western Science, Eastern Mysticism”. The scope of the book remains unchanged.

The publisher has advised me that I can expect to receive my contract by the end of this week.

René

[Rene]

FYI, I have today received the contract and will be studying it judiciously.

René

[Rene]

On 8 Mar 2024, at 1:04 am, johnmarks9 <johnm...@hotmail.com> wrote:

Dear René,

You might find it interesting to reflect upon a ninth "closing thought", René.

I´m minded of a major preoccupation of psychiatrists, viz. the distinction between the left and right hemispheres´ modes of thinking.

There was a little monograph, "My stroke of insight" (Penguin 2008) by Dr Jill Taylor, who wrote with psychological insight upon the effects of a left-sided (´dominant´, rational hemisphere controlling the right side of the body and mediating classical "western" thinking) stroke which she suffered in 1996. She lost consciousness briefly but woke to see the world very differently - from the right-sided (´non-dominant´) hemisphere´s perspective: "eastern", holistic, emotional, interwoven, etc., etc.

It´s only a short little book but may provide valuable insight into that mystical perspective which you are seeking for the PT. 

It may indeed be the case that we have intrinsically two complementary ways of seeing the world and hence, according to Kant, two different ways of constructing it.

Regards,

John

Thanks John.

I’ll add My Stroke of Insight to the list as well as The Dancing Wu Li Masters.

I feel that the mystical perspective generally involves the right side of such dichotomies or near-dichotomies as:

analytic v holistic

symmetry v asymmetry

facts v myths

resources v ecology

logic v emotion

flat v spatial

disunity v unity

Certainly there are differences between Western and Eastern cultures in the incidence of analytic v holistic thinking.

In this article…

* AV, Apanovich VV, Arutyunova KR and Alexandrov YI (2021) Analytic and Holistic Thinkers: Differences in the Dynamics of Heart Rate Complexity When Solving a Cognitive Task in Field-Dependent and Field-Independent Conditions. Front. Psychol. 12:762225. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.762225

…the authors go on to note that different parts of the brain are involved in each of these styles and that there are also differences in neurophysiological markers.

It seems that both sides of the brain are involved in each type of thinking but more of the most important parts of the brain, depending on the mode of thinking are located in one side or the other.

See, for example:

* Information processing in the separated hemispheres of callosotomy patients: does the analytic-holistic dichotomy hold? RC Gur, I Trope, P Rozin, DK Nelson Brain and Cognition, 1992•Elsevier

* Cerebral lateralization HD Brown, SM Kosslyn - Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 1993 - Elsevier

René

To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/PT-L/702454be-118e-4223-b37e-0e663e93a232n%40googlegroups.com.

[Rene]

I am quite pleased to let you know that Ann Robinson, author of the PhD thesis, "Creating a Symbol of Science: The Development of a Standard Periodic Table" of the Elements", https://scholarworks.umass.edu/dissertations_2/1385/, will be writing two chapters:

3. One, two, three dimensions or more?

Western perspective: Planar

Eastern perspective: Transcendent

Ann Robinson, periodic table historian, examines flat (“planar”) periodic tables v “tables” of three or more dimensions, their pros and cons, and the degree to which our appreciation of relationships among the elements is enhanced or obfuscated by fewer or more dimensions.

5. No table/system is ideal, or is it?

Western perspective: Separation of things into their constituent parts

Eastern perspective: Essential unity of everything in the universe

Ann Robinson, a periodic table historian, argues that in the East, there is an emphasis on the unity of everything, while Western Philosophy and western thought in general remains on the level of notions such duality, relativity, and rationality. She explores the implication of these differing perspectives on the development of the periodic table.

“The periodic table of elements, first published in 1869, is a stunning example of the kind of ‘systematic unity’ that reason seeks, and in this case finds, in nature.”[1]

[1] Willaschek M 2018, Kant on the Sources of Metaphysics: The Dialectic of Pure Reason, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, p. 114

This brings the number of contributors to the Tao project up to four: myself (10 chapters), Geoff Rayner-Canham (1), Peter Hodder (2), and Ann Robinson (2).

I have been liaising with another author about the possibility of contributing chapter 2, on the table v system question, and have been advised of another potential contributor for chapter 7, on whether symmetry can shine any light on the question of an ideal periodic table.

I have the contract from the publisher and am working through that.

René

[Roy Alexander]

Boy!  Are you lucky I got out of the way of Ann Robinson!!

Roy

PS How do we get to see her dissertation?

[Rene]

On 23 Mar 2024, at 02:29, Roy Alexander <ro...@comcast.net> wrote:

Boy!  Are you lucky I got out of the way of Ann Robinson!!

Roy

PS How do we get to see her dissertation?

Thanks Roy. There is a link to her thesis in the first paragraph below.

[Julio gutierrez samanez]

Very good René, I am reading Dr. Ann E. Robinson's thesis published in 2018. It would be good if you have some news about my work, FOCH article (2020) and my video.(2018). Maybe you could please send him: Tanks

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1r-LrBWO3O8YCwodLKmSe55N2kp2Djegc/view?usp=drivesdk

https://www.meta-synthesis.com/webbook/35_pt/pt_database.php?PT_id=946

 

 

Enviado con Gmail Mobile

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[Rene]

All 15 chapters now have confirmed authors.

I'm liaising with three other authors, two of whom are interested in currently assigned chapters and one other author about a possible Eastern-culture based case study, which would be an additional chapter.

I’ve finished studying the proposed contract and have just emailed the publisher a couple of questions.

My plan is to sign the contract and then, if any of the other three possibilities confirm their interest, request a contract amendment.

I’ve started writing Chapter 4: Are there any relationships between different periodic table representations? 1,723 words so far.

René

[Rene]

I am pleased to say I have just now signed my publishing agreement.

As soon as the agreement is countersigned by the publisher's internal signatories a dedicated editor will be assigned to my project and they will then be sharing with me all further important information, such as the manuscript guidelines, the chapter level-publishing agreement, information about obtaining permissions for the reuse of any third party material included in the book etc.

 

Once I receive that email I'll forward it to the co-authors who’ve already confirmed their willingness to contribute chapter/s.

René

[Julio gutierrez samanez]

Dear Rene, Thank you for taking the trouble to read my communication and respond. Although you always do it with the haste of a firefighter who comes to put out a fire. Of course, many times you are right, but not in this case. Thank you for putting back the graphics of Henry Bent, whose authority (much greater than ours) I appealed in my graphic, I am no one to disavow him, much less when he is already dead and He can not give any response to us.

You say that “Bent's line is erroneous because it combines the idealized electronic structure of the elements with their real-life properties.” First, I ask you: What is not “idealized” in science? If it is made up of a set of temporary propositions, never definitive, that is, “ideals.” The Periodic Table itself has changed shape so many times. If you refer to the anomalous electronic conformations of around twenty elements with the term “idealized”, I will tell you that it is only a matter of the position of the anomalous electrons in other suborbitals, since when added together, they give the same number corresponding to that of the protons. and that is invariable.

I think that, by assuming the role of guardian of what is established, it is difficult for you to understand that I am postulating another paradigm. I don't feel as attached to the "vertical groups" or "table of groups" paradigm (in Conal Boyce's opinion) of my chemist colleagues, because it simply no longer works, either as a standard table or as an LSTP. It is a building that is being propped up on all sides so that it does not fall like a house of cards. Although it works for chemists, it contains too many inconsistencies.

And this problem comes from Mendeleev, and even further back, from the “Newlands Octaves” whose validity lasted until Chancourtois and Mendeleev. Years later, the proposal of eight columns with boxes “crowded” by many similar elements housed, had to be expanded to 18 columns, then to 32. And, the next time, in the future, when elements with “g” orbitals appear, will have to be expanded to 50 columns.

What you argue as a defect in LSPT, that the “regularities” are broken with He/Be, then below, with Sc/Y, with en Lu/Lr, etc., is valid; But you don't notice that if we expose the periodic series by symmetrical pairs of periods or extended binodes, in line and not in columns! Such “irregularities” disappear. Even hydrogen occupies an unquestionable place by itself.

That Bent "does not prove that He is a noble gas", so as not to ruin the "regularity" of the LSTP, is a very flimsy argument, since, in my proposal, the green line of the noble gases begins with He. It is still the case that Bent has not colored the He box green. Therefore, the “regularity” of the LSTP and the LSTP itself are no longer necessary.

I think that, to perceive the “approximate periodicity” (this concept is not from DIM, right?) It is enough to demonstrate that, for example, alkali metals (yellow in color) and alkaline earth metals (in red color), appear with perfect increasing or progressive regularity, on the horizontal line of atomic numbers or Z function (whether this is Bent's line or anyone else's). Even a blind person can “see” that, if he verifies it with the Braille language.

These defined genetic sequences, illustrated with colored spiral lines, do nothing more than verify the mathematical function that determines them, dividing the infinite series Z into exact proportions (periods and binodes).

Where is the “broken symmetry” that you repeat so much, René? I suppose there are breaks in other aspects or themes (of quantum mechanics), but in this specific case, in matter, symmetry is perfect and it is universal. It does not depend on the “idealized electronic structure of the elements”, but on the numerical sequence of the Atomic Number (Z). Or this  you also consider “idealized.”

In this proposed form, periodicity is manifested with perfection. Precisely, due to the progressive or increasing sequence of spiral forms, there is periodic similarity, which is not identity, because each atomic or elemental species is unique and has specific particularities.

  What is clear and a scientist like you cannot deny it is that: Matter occurs in a dual form, that is, in double periods, and grows, also in pairs, with the progressive increase of new “transitions” (orbital or azimuthal quantum numbers: s, p, d, f, g...), causing that, despite the increase, periodic similarities persist, but that each binode or symmetric pair of periods has elements with particular chemical compositions and electronic structures. Perhaps that is why Bent did not put the Helium among the noble gases. Neither the: La/Ac nor the: Lu/Lr, fit under the: Sc/Y. because they have a different nature.

A big hug from the other side of the world.

 

Julio

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[Rene]

Thanks Julio

I enjoyed reading your comments.

You wrote that the "vertical groups" or "table of groups" paradigm, "simply no longer works … as a standard table ... It is a building that is being propped up on all sides so that it does not fall like a house of cards."

There is simply no evidence to support these assertions.

The 18-column table works fine; there is no practical need to increase it to 32 columns or to 50.

The whole purpose of the periodic table is to organise information:

• in accordance with the periodic law; and
• in a manner that is both systematic and reflective of fundamental principles and relationships.

The 18-column table, which reveals the horizontal, vertical, and diagonal relationships among the elements does this reasonably well and in a manner that is easily grasped.

Mendeleev said that the measurable [italics added] chemical and physical properties of the elements and their compounds are a periodic function of the atomic weight of the elements. He himself added that this periodic law was a generalisation.

I feel that you place too much emphasis on the symmetry, harmony and and beauty of the binodes. Doing so does not make the irregularities disappear; all it does is make them harder to notice. You go further in your email and say that, "In this proposed form, periodicity is manifested with perfection."

An important irregularity in the binodic form is that it shows H in a position congruent with Li, and He in a position congruent with Be. Both of these placements breach the periodic law. In accordance with the periodic law, H goes over F and He over Ne.

A further irregularity in the binodic form is that it shows B and Al in congruent positions (which is fine) but it then implies that B-Al are aligned with Ga-In-Tl. In fact, in terms of the periodic law, B-Al are better aligned with Sc-Y-La-Ac.

Now, the conventional periodic table has two of these three irregularities too (H over Li; B-Al over Ga) but nobody is saying the conventional form is perfect.

Another irregularity of the binodic form is that Sc-Y and Lu-Lr appear in congruent positions whereas, in terms of the periodic law, the relationship is better depicted as Sc-Y-La-Ac.

Yet another irregularity of the binodic form is that it disrupts the left to right transition in metallic to nonmetallic character that occurs across each periodic of the conventional form.

Matter does not grow in a dual form, in double periods, as you say. Going by the periodic law, H-He and Li-Be are not a pair. That all four are s-elements is but one  aspect of their numerous physical and chemical properties.

regards, René

[Rene]

I am pleased to say that I have been assigned a production editor.

Springer Nature is the publisher.

René