Uncle Tungsten
Memories of a Chemical Boyhood
by Oliver Sacks · first published 2001
86% recommend14% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Oliver Sacks' memoir of a childhood with a home chemistry set and the periodic table; readers praise its vivid 1940s London stories and its view of chemistry's hands-on past, suiting chemistry fans and memoir readers.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
"From his earliest days, Oliver Sacks - the distinguished neurologist who is also one of the most remarkable storytellers of our time - was irresistibly drawn to understanding the natural world. Born into a large family of doctors, metallurgists, chemists, physicists, and teachers, his curiosity was encouraged and abetted by aunts, uncles, parents, and older brothers. But soon after his sixth birthday, the Second World War broke out and he was evacuated from London - as were hundreds of thousands of children - to escape the bombing. Exiled to a school that rivaled Dickens's grimmest, fed on
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If you are reading that and discovering Oliver Sacks for the first time, or just haven't read any of his books, may I recommend that you get a copy of Uncle Tungsten? It's wonderful memoir of growing up in London and a history of chemistry.
on “Oliver Sacks on learning he has terminal cancer” ↗…somewhat more positive note, the late Oliver Sacks has written beautifully and with great sympathy and humanity about his brother's battle with schizophrenia - I think it's mainly in his "chemical memoir" Uncle Tungsten. I've often wished that he wrote a whole book on the subject but I guess it hit a little too close to home for him.
on “Societies with Little Coercion Have Little Mental Illness (2013)” ↗…could also carry a 65,000 payload.” Edit: that’s approximately 3e-25 kg per Caffiene molecule and I’m not a chemist, but I do enjoy captivating books about chemists/chemistry like Ignition[1], PiHKAL[2], Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood by Oliver Sacks[3]. Edit 2: From above I noticed 1 litre of liquid Hydrogen is unexpectedly light at 0.15604 kg and one litre of liquid Oxygen is similarly heavier at…
on “Show HN: I Made a Stupid Game” ↗"Surely You're Joking, Mr Feynmann" and "What Do You Care What People Think", both [obviously] by Richard Feynmann "Uncle Tungsten" by Oliver Sacks, mostly about Sacks' early life "The strangest man: The hidden life of Paul Dirac", by Graham Farmelo "The man who loved only numbers: the story of Paul Erdos and the search for mathematical…
on “Ask HN: what are your favorite biographies/autobiographies of a scientist?” ↗Highly recommend reading Oliver Sacks' Uncle Tungsten - his tale of growing up and discovering the beauty of the periodic table with his home chemistry set. Made me appreciate chemistry and the periodic table and Oliver Sacks so much more.
on “The periodic table is 150 years old this week” ↗…"Physics for entertainment" was fun, and repeating an experiment at work once almost got me fired - "Made to stick" by Chip and Dan Heath - "The Dissapearing Spoon" got me curious about chemistry -"Uncle Tungsten" by Oliver Sacks got me started on the rest of his books, taking my fascination in chemistry and nudging it towards medicine, neurology and psychology. - "The Social Animal" and "Influence" showed me…
on “Ask HN: What books got you curious and inspired about fields other than CS?” ↗Uncle Tungsten by Oliver Sacks. Lots of good personal experiences from chemistry’s golden age.
on “Ask HN: Any recommendation for a good History of Science book?” ↗Uncle Tungsten by Oliver Sacks. I'm a chemist trying to turn physicist and the childish enthusiasm of little Oliver (he's around 11--13 in the book) for “the lovingly detailed, naturalistic, descriptive chemistry of…
on “Ask HN: Which book can attract anyone towards your field of study?” ↗Uncle Tungsten is a fantastic book about youthful discovery, science and self. Dr. Oliver Sacks is a fantastic writer with a bit of his own adversities.
on “The man who mistook his wife for a hat (1983)” ↗Everyone should read Oliver Sacks' autobiography "Uncle Tungsten" - the past is a different country. Back in the day, a child could pick up chemicals and do experiments at home - one day Sacks' parents told him, "We'll install a fume cupboard for you, but can you…
on “Australian who ordered radioactive materials walks away from court” ↗More people should read Oliver Sacks' book Uncle Tungsten. As a kid he was allowed to buy real chemicals for his chemistry set and was told things like "can you make slightly less hydrogen peroxide next time". Minors buying pitchblende (Uranium ore) at the…
on “All grown-ups were once children, but only few of them remember it” ↗I'm about halfway through Sacks' new memoir and it's got to be one of the most unexpected autobiographies I've ever read. Even his earlier memoir (the more chemistry-focused Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood, which I highly recommend) didn't prepare me for how incredibly interesting this man's life has been. He seems to have one of those polymathic minds that could have gone…
on “Oliver Sacks' memoir reveals a rebel with the human touch” ↗His "Uncle Tungsten" is in my lifetime top 10 favorite books. It is ridiculously amazing.
on “My life with Oliver Sacks: ‘The most unusual person I had ever known’ (2017)” ↗> which discusses how science used to be more fun and chemists basically just mixed lots of super dangerous chemicals together all the time to see what worked. Reminds me of the book "Uncle Tungsten", which I highly recommend.
on “If Rockets Were Transparent [video]” ↗…She considers this entirely a waste of time, and lives to work. Highly recommend Dr. Sacks many books/collections, may he RIP: [I'm just a fleshbag]: Man Who Mistook Wife for Hat [LGB / growing up]: Uncle Tungsten [Parkinsonianisms]: Awakenings
on “A brain injury removed my ability to perceive time” ↗