#30001
Mentioned in 3 episodes

Uncle Tungsten

Memories of a Chemical Boyhood
Book • 2001
This memoir combines autobiographical elements with a primer in the history and science of chemistry.

Sacks recounts his childhood in wartime England, his early scientific fascination with light, matter, and energy, and his experiences at boarding school.

The book also delves into his family's influence, including his Uncle Dave, who manufactured light bulbs with tungsten filaments, and the broader scientific community that shaped his early life.

It touches on his transition from a childhood love of chemistry to an interest in biology and his eventual decision to become a doctor.

Mentioned by

Mentioned in 3 episodes

Recommended by Nicholas Weiler for its weaving together of family stories and chemistry history.
Famous & Gravy: Mind Traveler (Oliver Sacks)
Mentioned by Oliver Sacks as containing a memory of bombs falling in London during 1940.
Extended Classic: “Are You Out of Your Mind?” with Oliver Sacks
Mentioned by Sherry Turkle as a book that connects personal experiences with scientific pursuits.
Sherry Turkle: Is Technology Killing Our Hearts?

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