The Dr Sergis Academy

New Blog Alert❗️
Our latest blog goes back in time to meet a great brain of the Netherlands in the 17th century, hailed as the “Star of Utrecht”. She just so happens to be a woman.

Read on to find out more: https://www.dsacademy.co.uk/b/anna-maria-van-schurman

Anna Maria Van Schurman Anna Maria Van Schurman was a feminist icon and defender of women’s education in the 17th century.

Mineral of the Week
Okenite (CaSi2O5·2H2O) is a white (sometimes with a light yellow or blue tint) silicate mineral that is usually associated with zeolites. It was first described in 1828 for an occurrence at Disko Island, Greenland and named for German naturalist Lorenz Oken (1779–1851). Okenite is also found in India, mainly within the state of Maharashtra. Other localities include Bulla Island, Azerbaijan; Aranga, New Zealand; Chile; Ireland and Bordo Island in the Faroe Islands.

Credit: Wikipedia
Image of Oken: Mindat
Image of mineral: ©B.Z Kantor

ACS's Molecule of the Week

I’m a versatile and useful chelating agent.

What molecule am I?

Find out here: https://www.acs.org/

Mineral of the Week
Ilvaite was first described in 1811 on the island of Elba. The name ilvaite originates from the Latin name Ilva for the island. It is sometimes referred to as yenite. It was first published, described and named in 1807 by the French mineralogist Claude-Hugues Leliévre (28 June 1752, Paris, France -18 October 1835).

He named it as yenite, in memory of the battle at Jena (in todays Germany) which took place on 14 October 1806. The battle was between the forces of Napoleon I of France and Frederick William III of Prussia.

The name should have been written Jenite, but according to Leliévre he changed it to Yenite, to avoid confusions with the pronunciation.

Credit: Wikipedia/Midat
Image: ©Rob Lavinsky & irocks.com