Download or read book The Most Beautiful Molecule written by Hugh Aldersey-Williams and published by Wiley. This book was released on 1997-10-21 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Most Beautiful Molecule "The molecule, buckminsterfullerene, is beautiful physically and intellectually. Its qualities, and even some of its properties, can be appreciated instantly and intuitively by nonscientists. Its uniqueness is bound to lead to novel applications-superconductivity is the leading contender at the moment." "The commercial potential of buckminsterfullerene has heightened the excitement and controversy in recent years, while the exact nature of the discovery process in 1985 has been the subject of a heated feud between the British and American scientists involved."-Hugh Aldersey-Williams Ten years ago, the discovery of buckminsterfullerene, a previously unknown form of carbon, stunned the scientific community, as much for the discovery itself as for the manner in which it came about. In the words of author Hugh Aldersey-Williams, it was an example of "classic bootleg science". The work was done on the back of other, funded projects, and when time would allow. Yet its commercial implications are probably immense. Now, with objectivity and insight, The Most Beautiful Molecule recounts the events leading up to this momentous discovery and chronicles the ongoing, often frenzied aftermath. Hugh Aldersey-Williams leads us on a thrilling expedition to the very forefront of modern chemistry research. Houston, Texas, 1985. Two industrious chemists discover a previously unknown form of carbon and christen it buckminsterfullerene, for its striking resemblance to American architect Richard Buckminster Fuller's geodesic domes. This unusual molecule-also known as the buckyball-is composed of 60 carbon atoms arranged in a hollow sphere, with hexagonal and pentagonal configurations similar to those found on a soccer ball. Its near-perfect symmetry is just one reason why scientists have since dubbed it "the most beautiful molecule." The discovery of buckminsterfullerene-by American physicist and chemist Richard Smalley and British physical chemist Harry Kroto-rocked the scientific community. After all, generations believed graphite and diamond to be the only pure forms of carbon. How had this third form gone undetected? In fact, the actual discovery was merely the beginning of an intense-and ongoing-quest to master this newest form of the most basic of elements. Confirmation would take five years and launch an unprecedented flood of investigation and investment. The unique physical structure of buckminsterfullerene-a "cage" into which atoms of other materials may be inserted-had huge commercial potential and inspired scientists, industrial laboratories, and corporations alike. Backed by such giants as AT&T, DuPont, Exxon, and IBM, a highly competitive search for practical applications began-and continues. Possibilities range from the creation of a revolutionary rocket fuel to nanotechnology-the construction of microscopic "molecular machines"-to developments in the fight against AIDS. Here, then, is a fascinating, multilayered look at one of the most important scientific findings of our time. The Most Beautiful Molecule is a brain-teasing detective story, a marvelously detailed, inside look at the workings of the scientific community, and an exciting contemplation of what lies ahead. From the forefront of research in modern chemistry, author Hugh Aldersey-Williams offers, in his own words, "a celebration of the intimate world of physical science and its practitioners."
Download or read book The Most Beautiful Molecule written by Hugh Aldersey-Williams and published by White Lion Publishing. This book was released on 1995 with total page 360 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Most Beautiful Molecule The molecule, buckminsterfullerene, is beautiful physically and intellectually. Its qualities, and even some of its properties, can be appreciated instantly and intuitively by nonscientists. Its uniqueness is bound to lead to novel applications-superconductivity is the leading contender at the moment.
Download or read book The Chemical Histories of Soot and Buckminsterfullerene written by Robert Holloway and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2023-03-31 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Scientists often argue among themselves about the best description of nature. Science journalists, primarily reporters of scientists’ work, and facilitators of their arguments, sometimes go beyond reportage and actually join such arguments, or even initiate them. This book presents the story of such a case. In 1985, the first reports of the discovery of the spherical molecule C60 Buckminsterfullerene, a new third form of carbon beyond diamond and graphite appeared and excited the world, especially the science media. At about the same time, but with much less fanfare, a new description of the formation of the small carbon particles called soot emerged. As this book shows, Nobel laureates-to-be Rick Smalley, Harry Kroto, and Bob Curl sought acknowledgement as discoverers of C60 using the media skillfully. Rudy Baum, a correspondent and eventual editor for premier chemistry newsmagazine Chemical and Engineering News, helped promote and establish the validity of their claim not only by reporting it, but by linking it with the soot science world, evidently contriving an argument between physical chemists and combustion scientists. The soot formation modeler Michael Frenklach tried in vain to quash the notion of such an argument and Chemical and Engineering News never retracted Baum’s spectacular story of conflict.
Download or read book Handbook of Fullerene Science and Technology written by Xing Lu and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2022-09-24 with total page 1029 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nanocarbon chemistry and physics is a fast-developing, broad research area – the Nobel prizes in 1996 and 2010 awarded to two key discoveries in the field, and several other nanocarbon achievements of comparable importance. Owing to this rapid growth, the nanocarbon landscape fundamentally changes every few years, creating a need to survey the field on a regular basis to update the books that have become incomplete or even obsolete. As such, this book focuses on fullerenes and metallofullerenes and also on the related areas of nanotubes and graphenes. All the covered research topics provide important fundamental knowledge for the natural sciences, but also for applications in molecular electronics, superconductivity, catalysis, photovoltaics and medical diagnostics. The current nanocarbon research activities have particularly high application potential in the conversion of solar energy, future molecular memories, non-conventional materials for optoelectronics, and new treatments for civilization diseases. Offering a truly up-to-date critical survey of nanocarbon science, its concepts and highlights, it follows the concept of a handbook: it addresses key topics systematically, from historical background, methodological aspects, current important issues, and application potential, all supplied with extensive referencing. With individual chapters written by leading experts with extensive research experience, it is a comprehensive reference resource for graduate students and active researchers alike.
Download or read book C60 Buckminsterfullerene written by Harold W. Kroto and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2016-01-05 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This compendium of accounts reveals the unique perspectives of many scientists who made major contributions to the Nobel Prize-winning discovery of C60 buckminsterfullerene but who have not previously published personal accounts. The introduction attempts to provide a rational framework for understanding how this discovery came about and how firmly
Download or read book The Mathematics and Topology of Fullerenes written by Franco Cataldo and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2011-12-01 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Mathematics and Topology of Fullerenes presents a comprehensive overview of scientific and technical innovations in theoretical and experimental studies. Topics included in this multi-author volume are: Clar structures for conjugated nanostructures; counting polynomials of fullerenes; topological indices of fullerenes; the wiener index of nanotubes; toroidal fullerenes and nanostars; C60 Structural relatives: a topological study; local combinatorial characterization of fullerenes; computation of selected topological indices of C60 and C80 Fullerenes via the Gap Program; 4valent- analogues of fullerenes; a detailed atlas of Kekule structures of C60. The Mathematics and Topology of Fullerenes is targeted at advanced graduates and researchers working in carbon materials, chemistry and physics.
Download or read book The Routledge Companion to Literature and Science written by Bruce Clarke and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2010-09-13 with total page 684 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With forty-four newly commissioned articles from an international cast of leading scholars, The Routledge Companion to Literature and Science traces the network of connections among literature, science, technology, mathematics, and medicine. Divided into three main sections, this volume: links diverse literatures to scientific disciplines from Artificial Intelligence to Thermodynamics surveys current theoretical and disciplinary approaches from Animal Studies to Semiotics traces the history and culture of literature and science from Greece and Rome to Postmodernism. Ranging from classical origins and modern revolutions to current developments in cultural science studies and the posthumanities, this indispensible volume offers a comprehensive resource for undergraduates, postgraduates, and researchers. With authoritative, accessible, and succinct treatments of the sciences in their literary dimensions and cultural frameworks, here is the essential guide to this vibrant area of study.
Download or read book Science in the Contemporary World written by Eric G. Swedin and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2005-03-08 with total page 409 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work is a unique introductory A–Z resource detailing the scientific achievements of the contemporary world and analyzing the key scientific trends, discoveries, and personalities of the modern age. An authoritative reference survey of the modern age of scientific discovery, Science in the Contemporary World is a scholarly yet accessible chronicle of scientific achievement from the discovery of penicillin to the latest developments in space exploration and cloning. Over 200 A–Z entries cover the full spectrum of contemporary science, with emphasis on its diverse nature. Within the last 50 years, medicine has eradicated the killer disease smallpox, but primarily because the virus can live only in humans. Space probes have revealed that on Europa, a moon of Jupiter, an ice-capped ocean with the potential to support life probably exists. Marvels from animal psychology and deep-sea exploration are also explored extensively.
Download or read book Raman Spectroscopy Fullerenes and Nanotechnology written by Maher S. Amer and published by Royal Society of Chemistry. This book was released on 2010 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This unique book is the first treatment of nanotechnology as the science controlled by the behaviour of thermodynamic small systems. It provides comprehensive discussions on fullerenes as building blocks, Raman spectroscopy as a powerful diagnostic tool, and nanotechnology as the technology bridging the gap between human-made and biological materials systems. Aimed at graduate students, scientists, researchers, and educators interested in academia, government and industry, the text is divided into four chapters. The first covers the potential of nanotechnology to develop a better, deeper understanding of the physical and chemical phenomena observed in natural systems. It also contains a section introducing nanotechnology to the public in simple, non-scientific terms. The second chapter is devoted to Raman spectroscopy and could in itself serve as a basis for a short course on its applications in materials science. The third section covers fullerenes and presents their history and development as well as discussing the structure and production of zero-dimensional, one-dimensional, and two-dimensional fullerenes. The fourth and final chapter serves as a correlation discussion and over view. It emphasizes the unique nano-phenomena exhibited by the fullerene systems as carbon based nanostructured systems. This chapter, and therefore the book, concludes with a discussion on the potential of nano-science and technology to shape the future of human society.
Download or read book The Names of Science written by Helge Kragh and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2024-07-04 with total page 353 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The history of science is echoed in the development of its language and the names chosen for its technical terms. The Names of Science examines in detail how, over time, new words have entered the scientific lexicon and how some of them, but far from all, have survived to the present. Why is a transistor called a transistor and not something else? Why was the term 'scientist' only coined in 1834, and why was the name regarded as controversial for a long time afterwards? There is a story behind every scientific word we use today. In this work, Helge Kragh tells many of these stories, taking a broad historical perspective from the Renaissance to the present. By combining elements of linguistics with the history of the natural sciences including physics, chemistry, and astronomy, this book offers a new and innovative perspective on the historical development of the natural sciences. Following an introductory list of useful linguistic terms, the book is structured in six chapters, which cover important phases in the history of science, dealing with a vast range of scientific terminology from physics, chemistry, geology, astronomy, to cosmology. It also considers, if only briefly, how English - and not, say, Latin or French - developed to become the internationally accepted language of science. Contrary to other works dealing with the subject, The Names of Science pays serious attention to the historical dimension of scientific language, and to the way in which scientists have, sometimes unconsciously, acted as linguists and neologists in their research work.
Download or read book Inorganic Chemistry written by Thomas W. Swaddle and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 1997-03-26 with total page 499 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book addresses the question, What is inorganic chemistry good for? rather than the more traditional question, How can we develop a theoretical basis for inorganic chemistry from sophisticated theories of bonding? The book prepares students of science or engineering for entry into the multi-billion-dollar inorganic chemical and related industries, and for rational approaches to environmental problems such as pollution abatement, corrosion control, and water treatment. A much expanded and updated revision of the 1990 text, Applied Inorganic Chemistry (University of Calgary Press), Inorganic Chemistry covers topics including atmospheric pollution and its abatement, water conditioning, fertilizers, cement chemistry, extractive metallurgy, metallic corrosion, catalysts, fuel cells and advanced batter technology, pulp and paper production, explosives, supercritical fluids, sol-gel science, materials for electronics, and superconductors. Though the book waswritten as a textbook for undergraduates with a background of freshman chemistry, it will also be a valuable sourcebook for practicing chemists, engineers, environmental scientists, geologists, and educators.
Download or read book The Diamond Formula written by Amanda S. Barnard and published by Butterworth-Heinemann. This book was released on 2000 with total page 182 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Provides a gemmologist, gemmological (or mineralogical) student, or interested party with an overview of the synthesis of diamonds. This book begins with the history of diamond synthesis, and the theories on which much of the early work was based, before discussing the principles on which the modern processes rely.
Download or read book Nano Surface Chemistry written by Morton Rosoff and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2001-09-27 with total page 832 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Containing more than 2600 references and over 550 equations, drawings, tables, photographs, and micrographs, This book describes hierarchical assemblies in biology and biological processes that occur at the nanoscale across membranes and at interfaces. It covers recurrent themes in nanocolloid science, including self-assembly, construction of supra
Download or read book Cosmic Analogies How Natural Systems Emulate The Universe written by Valerio Faraoni and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2022-07-20 with total page 287 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book discusses analogies between relativistic cosmology and various physical systems or phenomena, mostly in the earth sciences, that are described formally by the same equations. Of the two independent equations describing the universe as a whole, one (the Friedmann equation) has the form of an energy conservation equation for one-dimensional motion. The second equation is fairly easy to satisfy (although not automatic): as a result, cosmology lends itself to analogies with several systems. Given that a variety of universes are mathematically possible, several analogies exist. Analogies discussed in this book include equilibrium beach profiles, glacial valleys, the shapes of glaciers, heating/cooling models, freezing bodies of water, capillary fluids, Omori's law for earthquake aftershocks, lava flows, and a few mathematical analogies (Fibonacci's sequence, logistic equation, geodesics of various spaces, and classic variational problems). A century of research in cosmology can solve problems on the other side of an analogy, which in turn can suggest ideas in gravity. Finding a cosmic analogy solves the inverse variational problem of finding a Lagrangian and a Hamiltonian for that system, when nobody thought one exists. Often, the symmetries of the cosmological equations translate in new symmetries of the analogous system. The book surprises the reader with analogies between natural systems and exotic systems such as possible universes.
Download or read book Ab Initio Studies on Superconductivity in Alkali Doped Fullerides written by Yusuke Nomura and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-08-03 with total page 158 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book covers high-transition temperature (Tc) s-wave superconductivity and the neighboring Mott insulating phase in alkali-doped fullerides. The author presents (1) a unified theoretical description of the phase diagram and (2) a nonempirical calculation of Tc. For these purposes, the author employs an extension of the DFT+DMFT (density-functional theory + dynamical mean-field theory). He constructs a realistic electron–phonon-coupled Hamiltonian with a newly formulated downfolding method. The Hamiltonian is analyzed by means of the extended DMFT. A notable aspect of the approach is that it requires only the crystal structure as a priori knowledge. Remarkably, the nonempirical calculation achieves for the first time a quantitative reproduction of the experimental phase diagram including the superconductivity and the Mott phase. The calculated Tc agrees well with the experimental data, with the difference within 10 K. The book provides details of the computational scheme, which can also be applied to other superconductors and other phonon-related topics. The author clearly describes a superconducting mechanism where the Coulomb and electron–phonon interactions show an unusual cooperation in the superconductivity thanks to the Jahn–Teller nature of the phonons.
Download or read book Otthava written by Paulus Gerdes and published by Lulu.com. This book was released on 2010-01-01 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the book "Otthava: Making Baskets and Doing Geometry in the Makhuwa Culture in the Northeast of Mozambique" I reflect on practices in the Makhuwa culture, which provide evidence of the geometric considerations operating in basket weaving, and are suitable and appropriate for mathematical and educational exploration. A proper scientific understanding of this knowledge, and the educational value of these manifestations may lead to a better appreciation of the Makhuwa culture. The practices I present in this book belong to the cultural sphere of 'otthava' - weaving, plaiting, interweaving, interlacing, braiding - that is, to basket- and mat- weaving. The topics which are analysed are the making of funnels, hats, fish traps, containers, trays, dance rattles, purses, decorated braids, baskets and handbags, knots and circular mats (292 pp.) Colour versions of the photographs in the book are published in a separate supplement.
Download or read book Science in the Public Sphere written by Agusti Nieto-Galan and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-03-10 with total page 465 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Science in the Public Sphere presents a broad yet detailed picture of the history of science popularization from the Renaissance to the twenty-first century. Global in focus, it provides an original theoretical framework for analysing the political load of science as an instrument of cultural hegemony and giving a voice to expert and lay protagonists throughout history. Organised into a series of thematic chapters spanning diverse periods and places, this book covers subjects such as the representations of science in print, the media, classrooms and museums, orthodox and heterodox practices, the intersection of the history of science with the history of technology, and the ways in which public opinion and scientific expertise have influenced and shaped one another across the centuries. It concludes by introducing the "participatory turn" of the twenty-first century, a new paradigm of science popularization and a new way of understanding the construction of knowledge. Highly illustrated throughout and covering the recent historiographical scholarship on the subject, this book is valuable reading for students, historians, science communicators, and all those interested in the history of science and its relationship with the public sphere.
