Jones,
This triggered the best laugh I've had in awhile!
Hilarious.
The book for writers with that wonderful title is always on my wife's
desk...
Mark
From: "Jones Beene" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: [email protected]
To: <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Two clean reactions
Date: Tue, 6 Jun 2006 09:26:09 -0700
To clarify:
As posted a few months ago, the heavy isotope of oxygen: O-18 (18O) is
far more ubiquitous in nature than many realize. It is 15 time more
prevalent in natural water than is deuterium, for instance but the
interesting part is that it is eneriched naturally in biological life
(osmosis in plants will enrich).
One in every 6000 molecules of sea water is HDO instead of H2O. It is
erroneous to call this molecule "heavy water" however which technically is
a double substituion, or DDO: and nonexistent in seawater for all practical
purposes.
Five in every thousand molecules of sea water (.5 %) has an 18O oxygen
isotope instead of 16O. That is rather extraordinary considering the
nuclear stability of 16O. Surface water has less as the lighter isotope
evaporates first and is retained in any osmotic process. The mass
difference is substantial.
The water in some fruits and plants is enriched, reportedly, to a full 1
percent 18O. Otherwise it is very expensive to buy it from an isotope
distributor.
Jones
BTW, to show how far afield this kind of "grasping at straws" reasoning,
often resorted-to in the endless search for energy-alternatives can get
you...
Eucalyptus tree leaves are said to be especially enriched in 18O, and this
is the preffered food of the Koala. The leaves are undigestible to other
animals and of very low nutritional quality. Bacteria hosted by the Koala
however, apparently convert this non-food item into energy for the host.
Ergo: some might be tempted to suggest that the extra 18O could be playing
a role...
now how crazy is that <g>
Not this crazy: A Koala walks into a restaurant, sits down and orders the
veggie special. After he has finished eating, the waiter brings him his
bill. The koala then shoots the waiter, and departs. The fearless
restaurant owner runs over and stops him at the getaway gum-tree. "You
can't come into my restaurant, eat my food, shoot my waiter and then walk
out like you own the place! Who do you think you are?"
The Koala says... "Hmm...a Koala? look it up, pops"
The owner pulls out his pocket dictionary and looks up koala. It say,
"Marsupial. Eats shoots and leaves".
