Chapter 2 summary and reflection

In chapter 2, the title is "Near Twins and Black Sheep; The Genealogy of Elements". This title is actually very clever because it explains the author's point. In this chapter, the author focuses on the relationships between carbon, silicon, and germanium. The author starts with explaining how carbon is the backbone of amino acids. Kean explains the reason why amino acids all bunch together and that is because of carbon. The carbon element is in the middle of the amino acid chain and it wants to fill its outer energy level with 8 electrons. Since carbon needs 4 electrons, it latches on to as many as 4 atoms to get those electrons and this is how carbon is able to build complex chains.

The author then goes on to explain the cousin of carbon, silicon. This element also needs 4 electrons to fill its outer energy levels and because of this, it has the ability to mimic carbon. The problem is that silicon doesn't really have the life sustaining abilities like carbon since silicon dioxide can be fatal and carbon dioxide isn't. The author finally explains how silicon and germanium are alike but how germanium is kind of the black sheep of the family. Both of these elements are semiconductors and can be used for technology. The part where germanium is the black sheep comes from the part where silicon is used for the technology instead of germanium. Silicon provided a better use for electronics and that is why germanium was passed over when men were sent to the moon and computers and cell phones where made.

This chapter was very interesting because again, the author made good use of analogies. The author also makes good use of analogies of scientists to explain elements better. I enjoyed reading about the uses of silicon and germanium and how easily history could have been reversed. The author explained how Silicon Valley could have easily been Germanium Valley as well. The problem was that silicon was cheap and available and that is why we have our technology and Silicon Valley.