Element of the week: aluminum

The element of the week is Aluminum (Al). Its atomic number is 13 and is the third most abundant element in the earth's crust, after oxygen and silicon. It is low in density and has high resistance to corrosion. It was discovered in the mid 1700s and first produced in 1825. Currently is extremely useful in our daily lives.

I picked this element because i remember a scene in Star Trek 4 in which Scottie showed this guy how to create a giant whale tank out of "transparent aluminum". Interestingly enough, transparent aluminum became somewhat of a a reality in 2009 when Oxford scientists were able to bombard xray onto aluminum to make "transparent aluminum."

http://www.physorg.com/news167925273.html