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July 03, 2002
Why didn't anyone tell me?
Why am I so stupid? And if you're not, why didn't you tell me? I just picked up a book in Joel's office, where I'm hiding while teaching at OISE this summer... and as I open it, I see this footnote: ""One must bear in mind that gas derives from the Greek Khaos, a perfectly general term for chaos."" [Derek J. de Solla Price. (1962) little science: big science. NY: Columbia UP] Then I go to Dictionary.com/gas and get this... [Dutch, an occult physical principle supposed to be present in all bodies, alteration of Greek khaos, chaos, empty space, coined by Jan Baptista van Helmont (1577-1644), Flemish chemist.] Why didn't anyone tell me?"
Posted by jason at July 3, 2002 08:06 AM