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25th March 2006 | Uncompleted

Towards a Periodic Table of Questions

strategic opportunities from ordering WH-questions

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Introduction
Dimensions of interrogatives that merit ordered distinction
Standard periodic table adapted as a metaphoric template for ordering WH-questions
Metaphoric reinterpretations of the chemical series of the standard periodic table
Metaphoric reinterpretation of natural condition and natural occurrence
References

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Introduction

The purpose in the following experiment is to determine whether there are any insights to be gained by ordering the standard set of 7-WH questions (or interrogatives) in the form of a periodic table -- using the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements as a metaphorical template. The justification for such an exploration is that the 7 interrogatives could be considered as fundamental to the organization and dynamics of knowledge space as are the chemical elements to physical and biological space. Whether this parallel is associated with fundamental isomorphism -- or merely illustrative and of mnemonic value -- is to be determined. In the first instance however, the issue is to discover whether suggestive insights emerge from using the order of the standard periodic table and its various features.

It is appropriate to note that an argument has been made in the past by Edward Haskell for a generalization of the order and application of the periodic table (cf ...) This has attracted little attention but was a factor in the development of the subject categorization of the Encyclopedia of World Problems and Human Potential.

Dimensions of interrogatives that merit ordered distinction

The following features could potentially be ordered in a new way:

• the set of 7 WH-questions
• the binary set of yes/no questions, normally considered (in the literature) in relation to the 7 WH-questions
• the existence of a cycle breaking or reframing interrogative, namely Po (as proposed by Edward de Bono) ** discussed
• the recognition of "light-weight" questions as contrasted with "heavier" questions

Standard periodic table adapted as a metaphoric template for ordering WH-questions

In the table below, based entirely on a version of the periodic table of elements appearing in Wikipedia, the following adaptations have been made (in italics; hyperlinks go to relevant descriptions in Wikipedia entries, as in the original version):

• the 7 WH-questions have been positioned to correspond to the classical groups of elements (I through VII), namely to distinguish columns of questions of those types.
• the cycle breaker/completer "Po", is associated with the classical Group VIII ("Noble gases")
• the yes/no questions have been associated with the elements in the first period of the table (corresponding to hydrogen and helium)

Note that a major characteristic of the periodic table is that within any period, subperiods with additional elements emerge (eg the transition metals, lanthanides, actinides, etc as colour-coded) -- seemingly to break up the simple notion of a table. This means that there are other kinds of emergent periodicity which could be cause for valuable reflection in the case of any mapping of questions onto the template. This helpfully guards against premature closure.

Group →	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18
	I	II											III	IV	V	VI	VII	VIII
	When	Where											Which	How	What	Who	Why	Po
↓ Period
1	1 "Yes" H																	2 "No" He
2	3 Li	4 Be											5 B	6 C	7 N	8 O	9 F	10 Ne
3	11 Na	12 Mg											13 Al	14 Si	15 P	16 S	17 Cl	18 Ar
4	19 K	20 Ca	21 Sc	22 Ti	23 V	24 Cr	25 Mn	26 Fe	27 Co	28 Ni	29 Cu	30 Zn	31 Ga	32 Ge	33 As	34 Se	35 Br	36 Kr
5	37 Rb	38 Sr	39 Y	40 Zr	41 Nb	42 Mo	43 Tc	44 Ru	45 Rh	46 Pd	47 Ag	48 Cd	49 In	50 Sn	51 Sb	52 Te	53 I	54 Xe
6	55 Cs	56 Ba	*	72 Hf	73 Ta	74 W	75 Re	76 Os	77 Ir	78 Pt	79 Au	80 Hg	81 Tl	82 Pb	83 Bi	84 Po	85 At	86 Rn
7	87 Fr	88 Ra	**	104 Rf	105 Db	106 Sg	107 Bh	108 Hs	109 Mt	110 Ds	111 Rg	112 Uub	113 Uut	114 Uuq	115 Uup	116 Uuh	117 Uus	118 Uuo
* Lanthanides				57 La	58 Ce	59 Pr	60 Nd	61 Pm	62 Sm	63 Eu	64 Gd	65 Tb	66 Dy	67 Ho	68 Er	69 Tm	70 Yb	71 Lu
** Actinides				89 Ac	90 Th	91 Pa	92 U	93 Np	94 Pu	95 Am