What a load of Rubbish...
As a Master's Student in Chemistry at the University of Bristol I'd just like to say, what a load of crap. The notion that atoms having a different makeup of sub-atomic particles (protons, neutrons, electrons) makes them either "living" or "dead" is stupid. Sure, some of the chemistry of the body involves atoms that are commonly thought of as "inorganic" rather than"organic" ("organic" atoms are mostly carbon, hydrogen and heteroatoms such as oxygen, nitrogen and sulphur) but the definitions of elements being either "organic" or "inorganic" is fluid at the very best, if not irrelevant.
The TYPE OF CHEMISTRY involved is far more relevant. Yes elements of the chemistry of the body (such as that cited of the conformation of the heam groups around the iron centre of heamoglobin or the role of transition metals such as zinc in enzymes) can be traditionally thought of as "inorganic" but these boundaries in chemistry (organic/inorganic/physical/et.c.) are fast blurring and murging as we understand that the various sections all offer something to the models of chemical reactions, including those in the body and the bodies makeup.
In short, "Dr Stephan Juan" (Dr of what, surely not a science, hotmail diploma?) maybe next time you try and dumb down some science to make it comprehendable to those who dont know that much about it you might like to read it BEFORE you publish it and check you havent written something stupid and untrue.
And I was just reading elswhere on your (most excellent) website about "the farcical notion that the internet is somehow beneficial to education" (Andy Bright, Google's Grey Goo Article). I'm inclined to agree with him now. Please dont add to the problem El Reg.
Ben Hodgson
Biting the hand that feeds IT
