This is Alpha, the first-born, when he was 2YO.
This is Beta, the second-born, when he was about 2YO.
This is Gamma, the third-born, when he was about 18MO.
Elemental Illiteracy
Sep
13
2011
As is my habit during breakfast, I was perusing the cereal boxes at the table.
Various cereal companies have taken to highlighting random nutritional facts at the top of the front of the box. This particular box was no exception.
I was surprised to see that this company has decided to change the symbol for iron.
As anyone who made it through high school should know, the symbol for iron is Fe, not Ir.
This cereal is unknowingly touting its content of iridium. Since iridium is very rare, this must be some special cereal.
They also got the symbol for zinc wrong, but Z is not used for anything else. Z versus Zn is not as obvious as Ir versus Fe.
Maybe they thought people were uneducated and wouldn’t know that Fe means iron. Well then, cereal company, this is your opportunity to improve the world a little. Provide that edumacation that the people need instead of furthering their ignorance.
Looking at the nutrition information, I’m wondering why they chose to tout zinc as high-content.
It’s not like zinc has a higher percentage than most of the other items. Iron does, so I can understand that. But so does folate. Why doesn’t folate get recognized?
Maybe the marketing group or box designers thought people want zinc.
I’d rather have iridium.
Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:17
This little article thingy was written by Some Guy sometime around 6:16 pm and has been carefully placed in the Marketing category.
September 13th, 2011 at 9:40 pm
If a box told me the cereal was an excellent source of Fez, I’d buy that cereal all the time.
September 13th, 2011 at 10:03 pm
Bah. Too much fiber in that.
September 13th, 2011 at 10:45 pm
Too funny! Isn’t iridium also radioactive as well? It’s been too many years since high school chemistry for me…
September 16th, 2011 at 10:59 am
I passed chemistry by making the teacher laugh. On one test, I answered each question with “It blows up”.
I got a D, but I passed!