[MUD-Dev] Re: Spell components, chemistry, and the like...

[Nathan F Yospe]

On Wed, 11 Nov 1998, Chris Gray wrote:

:[quzah:]

:I think to get all of that information, you might need an entire
:library of chemistry and geology reference books! If you *really*
:want to get into some of it, you need a "rubber bible". That's the
:student name for the "Handbook of Chemistry and Physics", that was
:published by the Chemical Rubber Company. I got one in my first year
:of university. I don't know if they are still published, however.
:You might find some in a university library, or a good high school one.
:Warning: mine is nearly 3 inches of very thin paper!

And my new one (1997) is about four inches, and still thin as heck. Yes,
they still publish the sucker.

:Some sections:

:    "The Elements". A short paragraph on each one. Dense material.
:    E.g. for carbon, it includes: atomic weight 12.01115, atomic
:    number 6, melting point 3550C, sublimes above 3500C, boiling
:    point 4827C, specific gravity: amorphous 1.8 - 2.1, graphite
:    1.9 - 2.3, diamond 3.15 - 3.53 (depending on variety), gem
:    diamond 3.513 (25C). And then lots of words.

:    "Physical constants of inorganic compounds" (nearly 100 pages)
:    Columns are: name, formulae, molecular weight, crystalline form &
:    properties & index of refraction, density/specific gravity,
:    melting point, boiling point, solubility in cold & hot water & others.

:    "Physcial constants of minerals" (only 4-1/2 pages!)
:    Includes name, formula, specific gravity, hardness, crystalline
:    form & colour, index of refraction

:    "Physical constants of organic compounds" (nearly 500 pages!)
:
:    ...

:(How can you tell I don't want to work on what I should be working on?)

:In other words, there is far more information than you could ever use.
:I think you need to cut back on your ambitions a bit, and start with
:something simple. Only put in data for things as you put sources of
:those things into your world. Else you'll go insane!

I'm still working on my goal of inputting over 50% of the chemical data.
I don't have any illusions of getting all the chemical data into my mud,
but half is a good goal for extreme ambition. I might mention that's the
p-chem data. Maybe 5% of the o-chem data, and some biochem.
--

Nathan F. Yospe - Born in the year of the tiger, riding it forever after
University of Hawaii at Manoa, Dept of Physics, second year senior (joy)
(On Call) Associate Algorithm Developer, Textron Systems Corp, Maui Ops.
yospe#hawaii.edu http://www2.hawaii.edu/~yospe Non commercial email only