Warning: science inside!

I am determined now.  I really must update this blog more regularly.  I've said it a billion times (well, maybe more like 3).  Anyway, this time I'm armed with a checklist.  Maybe that'll keep me motivated.  Praying about it too will probably help.

So anyway, a new school year has arrived and I'm back in the wild and windy city of Chicago.  I am adjusting to living on the 13th floor of a building.  This is one floor higher than the highest classroom I've ever been in (Business Ethics last winter).  The upside is there's always a breeze and a good view of the sunrise/sunset.  The downside is getting up and down efficiently.  Today, just for kicks, I took the stairs.  Going up.  I made it, but had to sit down and gasp for air upon arrival.  Never doing that again.  Well, unless I really want to get in shape...

One of my classes this quarter is Environmental Chemistry.  Awesome thing about college:  My teacher works for the EPA.  Scary thing about college: there's a door down the hall that says "WARNING: Radioactive Material Inside!"  Yeah.  There are actual bona-fide scientists doing relevant research in DePaul's facilities.  Just as long as no mutant animals go charging around the building, I'm all for it.

So back to chemistry class.  We're learning about air pollutants:  where they come from, what they're made of, and how specifically they damage our bodies and our stuff.  Being a college course, this involves some actual chemistry stuff, like Lewis structures and balancing reaction formulas and knowing that pure oxygen is typically diatomic and why it's typically diatomic.  And what "diatomic" means.

It occurred to me, while playing pyramid solitaire, that it would be really cool (and really educational) if all this chemical reaction stuff could be turned into a card game.  It would be simple really.  Turn the periodic groups into stats, be able to trade in element cards for compound cards, and vice-versa.  I almost mentioned it to my teacher today.  I'm kind of glad I didn't.  I went online first and googled "chemistry card game".

I found Elemento.  I totally want this for Christmas now.

And now I can put aside my idea for a card game and rest easy knowing that it's been done.  But not before I send this link to my teacher.

Earworm of the day-- Forget and not Slow Down: Relient K