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["Marie McHarry" <mmcharry AT gmail.com>]

On 2/14/07, Bill Jones <billj AT harborside.com> wrote:

> I don't do fiction.  Hopefully my 777 comment indicated that I don't
> take it that seriously, that the only 3 elements in sequence capable of
> having a +6 charge are precisely those produced in nuclear reactors.

I'm not sure what your point is. Moving up the chart, that's what you
get. Radiation is as old as the stars, and we evolved (for those who
choose to believe that we did) in a sea of radiation. That's why we
tend to be so resistant (i.e., have such great repair mechanisms) for
low and medium levels of radiation. High levels are, of course,
something else; you can walk up to an unshielded core from a nuclear
reactor, but you won't be walking away.
> Anyway, here are a few more questions.  We grow a fascinating plant
> called yacon, from the Andes.  There it's used to make a sweet syrup.
> It contains a starch called inulin that breaks down into fructose when
> slowly cooked.

Fructose is readily available. Why not just use that?

Marie