THE CENTRAL SCIENCE

by Greg Lohman

Solution: INAMORATAS

All images have three pictures and a symbol. The three pictures all clue the same chemical element, showing the element, a use of the element, a substance containing the element, or simply a symbol that suggests the element's properties. The symbols are alchemical symbols for elements, each of which has an association with a celestial body.

Element: Tantalum (Ta)
Pictures: Tantalum wire, tantalum skull plates, tantalum resistors
Symbol: Jupiter (tin)

Element: Iodine (I)
Pictures: Iodine, visualization of a thyroid with radioactive iodine, iodized salt
Symbol: Sun (gold)

Element: Oxygen (O)
Pictures: Liquid oxygen, LOX rockets, ozone
Symbol: Moon (silver)

Element: Nitrogen (N)
Pictures: Liquid nitrogen tank, ammonium nitrate fertilizer, nitrous mask
Symbol: Mercury (mercury)

Element: Sulfur (S)
Pictures: Sulfur crystals, fireworks (gunpowder), Epsom Salts (magnesium sulfate)
Symbol: Saturn (lead)

Element: Americium (Am)
Pictures: Americium metal, radiation symbol, americium smoke detector
Symbol: Venus (copper)

Element: Radium (Ra)
Pictures: Radium watch dial, radium metal, radiation symbol
Symbol: Mars (iron)

Now start at the center and go away from the sun to get your ordering mechanism. Writing the element abbreviations in solar system order gives I N Am O Ra Ta S, or INAMORATAS.