Science in Seconds - Seeing Molecules

Science in Seconds Know Everything RAVES - Seeing Molecules Rheanna Sand: Whether you're talking about a new 20-megapixel digital camera, or the latest high-res, ultra-thin LED screen, consumers are always thirsty for more detail in their images. And why should it be any different in the scientific world? Detail in this realm is not just for wow factor, it's informative. The word "science" itself means "to see", and what else drove early inventors to create microscopes and telescopes but to extend the limits of our vision? What researchers have done now, though, would stun Galileo himself: nanotech scientists have taken a picture of a molecule. Yes, that's right. One molecule, called pentacene, made up of five carbon rings, and surrounded by hydrogen atoms on the outside. So, how did they manage to make history? Well, they modified an instrument, designed to measure tiny carbon nanotubes, and fine-tuned it until they could pick up the smallest of images. This level of detail shatters the already fragile walls between physics and chemistry. How atoms behave is typically a particle physics problem. How molecules are created, destroyed and rearranged, is the traditional pursuit of chemists. But now that we can see molecules, these two groups of scientists might just talk to each other in the coffee line over more than just the latest HD TV to hit stores. Courtesy of Science in Seconds – All rights reserved Only for educational/non-profit purposes. (Translators are invited to put their name here)