The New Galactic Chemical Registry (Tomorrow News Network: A to Z)

~ J.S. Pailly

Hello, friends!  Welcome back to the A to Z Challenge.  For this year’s challenge, my theme is the Sci-Fi universe of Tomorrow News Network, and in today’s post, N is for:

THE NEW GALACTIC CHEMICAL REGISTRY (N.G.C.R.)

In the first book of the Tomorrow News Network series, there’s a bit of narration about a chemical substance called lithium trinate.  For any chemistry buffs who might be reading this, you’re right: that’s not a real name for a chemical.  Allow me to explain.

Here in the 21st Century, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (I.U.P.A.C.) is in charge of naming and categorizing chemicals.  But according to Tomorrow News Network, at some point in the future, all the I.U.P.A.C. naming conventions will be replaced by a new system called the Galactic Chemical Registry.

And then at some point even farther into the future, the Galactic Chemical Registry will be changed and updated once more, thus leading the the creation of the New Galactic Chemical Registry (N.G.C.R.).  The sciences have a long history of redefining key terms, of updating or replacing old systems of nomenclature with new ones.  So by the 44th Century, something like the N.G.C.R. could exist. It’s possible.

So lithium trinate might be a real chemical, a chemical whose original I.U.P.A.C. name has been changed in the N.G.C.R.  Or lithium trinate might be some exotic new outer space chemical that’s totally unknown to 21st Century science.

I can at least tell you lithium trinate was inspired by a real chemical substance called lithium nitride.  I did my research.  I’m pretty sure I got my sciency facts right.  But just in case I overlooked something important, just in case I made some silly mistake, the N.G.C.R. gives my story a bit of plausible deniability.

Next time on Tomorrow News Network: A to Z, even in the 44th Century, humans still need oxygen to breathe.

17 thoughts on “The New Galactic Chemical Registry (Tomorrow News Network: A to Z)”

  1. Interesting topic you have for the challenge. Thanks for visiting my blog and for the comments. I am coming to your blog for the first time.
    Since I have a chemistry background, I can relate to this post somewhat. I remember IUPAC very well.
    I am sure as go forward new chemicals are going to be discovered and new naming conventions.

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    1. Oh, God bless you for loving chemistry. I had such a tough time with it in school. It’s the only subject I came close to flunking. I really wish I knew the subject better so I didn’t have to make this stuff up.

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      2. I’m glad your teacher did that for you. I’m pretty sure my chemistry professor gave up on me. He probably let me pass just so I wouldn’t have to take the class again.

        I really wish I understood chemistry better. The language of chemistry can be so lovely, and it would be such a big help in my writing. I’ve tried to learn as much as I can as an adult, but it’s a tough subject for me.

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  7. Oh my goodness, chemistry… I sucked at it. Our teacher kept repeating that three nobel prize winners attended our very college. One day I asked “so we all know the most known was Albert Einstein, but who were the others?”
    He was so busted because he didn’t know. Instead of owning up, he looked at me and said “well, I can tell you who won’t be the fourth one!”

    My O is for opening hours and customer service in Switzerland:
    https://thethreegerbers.blogspot.com/2020/04/a-z-2020-switzerland-opening-hours.html

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