1899,1902

Actinium

• Debierne found a new element, actinium,
• in the pitchblende residues
• that Marie and Pierre Curie had left
• after extracting radium.
• Giesel thought he had found
• in pitchblende a different element, emanium.
• Devierne had not determined its atomic weight
• and said actinium was similar to titanium,
• whereas emanium was similar to lanthanum.

Atomic number 89

• It’s hot,
• it’s toxic,
• and it’s not cheap.
• Tell me privately
• how many milligrams you need
• and I’ll ask around.
• I wouldn’t
• plan on it being
• a long-term investment.

Priority

• If you were to see
• a single hand clapping in a forest
• and told no one about it,
• then the second person to discover it
• would become famous, not you.
• If you accidentally discovered
• an antigravitational ceramic
• and thoughtlessly let it go,
• then who wouldn’t think
• you had lost your mind?
• Inventors and scientists
• famous artists, famous writers,
• must not only have intelligence
• and creativity, but also
• the will and ability to sell their work.
• No. I believe that for recognition
• in the sciences and arts,
• there are no solid certainties.
• Assuming that you know what you want,
• no one can tell you how to do it.