The earliest chemical symbols were devised by alchemists, who often used and adapted the rich symbolism of astrology. For example, in Etienne Geoffroy's (1672-1731) table of chemical affinities, published in 1718, the astrological symbol for Mars is...

Notation of one or two letters derived from the scientific names of the chemical elements (e.g., S for sulfur, Cl for chlorine, Zn for zinc). Some hark back to Latin names: Au (aurum) for gold, Pb (plumbum) for lead. Others are named for people or...

A chemical symbol is an abbreviation or short representation of the name of a chemical element, generally assigned in relation to its Latin name. Natural elements all have symbols of one or two letters; some man-made elements have temporary symbols of...

The names of the chemical elements have received a certain amount of attention in Word Ways over the years. The very first issue of Word Ways in February 1968 presented a quiz on 20 transposed element names. Later articles have offered more extensive...

Introduction In the February 2002 issue of Word Ways my article "The Symbols of the Chemical Elements" examined the symbols for the chemical elements with atomic numbers 1 to 109. Viewing the symbols as a sequence of 210 letters, I presented words...

Looking for a contraceptive that's convenient _ and tasty? The first chewable birth-control method, a tiny, spearmint-flavored tablet that also can be swallowed without chewing, has hit pharmacy shelves.Femcon Fe, which contains the same hormones as standard oral contraceptives, offers a new option for women...

In a Dec. 7 story about oral contraceptives, The Associated Press misspelled an ingredient in Femcon Fe, a chewable contraceptive tablet made by Warner Chilcott. The ingredient is ethinyl estradiol, not ethanol estradiol. The corrected story is below.___TRENTON, N.J. (AP) _ Looking for a contraceptive...