Aluminum/Aluminium debate finally solved
2006-02-04
Kate's mom bought me Bill Bryson's "A short history of nearly everything" for Christmas. It is a great book, if you haven't read it, I highly recommend picking it up. Everytime I start reading, I get a "oh so that's what that means!" moment.
Anyway, it finally answers the question "Why do North Americans pronounce it 'AlumiNUM' and the limeys pronounce it 'AlumiNIUM'. I was going to put this in the REO section, but it is way too huge for that.
Turns out we pronounce it the way it was originally meant to be pronounced. Humphrey Davy (an Englishman) discovered it in the early 1800s among many other elements such as magnesium, potassium and sodium. He originally called it Alumium, but changed it to 'AlumiNUM' four years after isolating it. North Americans 'dutifully' (as Bryson puts it) pronounced in Aluminum ever since, but the limeys changed it to 'AlumiNIUM' later because AlumiNUM disrupts the -ium pattern established by the other element names.
So there, it had nothing to do with a mislabelled box.
Personally, I think (in true British style) they changed it just for the sake of being different. It would also explain why they haven't adopted the Euro and drive on the wrong side of the road.
In other news, Kate is away in London for a friends birthday so tonight is MAN NIGHT. There was a great deal on DVDs so I bought all the ones I've wanted for awhile that Kate would hate.
Kung fu, gangster movies and "Things to do in Denver when you're dead". I think you have to be married to get this excited about a night of watching DVDs...
Cool site:Nerdy keyboard, I want one
REO's:
- NASN doesn't show the Super Bowl. No wardrobe malfunctions this year -- If anyone knows of a pub that is open late on a Sunday night in Nottingham that would actually consider showing it, please let me know.
- A turtle neck is called a "polo neck". weird.
- Realtors in England are as annoying as realtors in Canada, only with worse service.
- Don't eat a Mr Whippy. It's not ice cream, it's a horrible whipped powder and water paste made to look like ice cream. One of the most foul inventions on earth.