Description
Book SynopsisThe 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
Table of ContentsMaking Molecules.
September 1985.
The Search for the Yellow Vial.
On Symmetry and the Sexagesimal.
The Fuller View.
The Chemical Senses.
The Chemist-Stylites.
September 1990.
The Peak of Perfection.
"My Lords, What Does It Do?" The Molecular Architects.
Epilogue: Spot the Ball.
Notes and References.
Index.
