Log In | Register
In the quest to slow down and ultimately understand chemistry at the level of atoms and electrons, University of Colorado at Boulder and Canadian scientists have found a new way to peer into a molecule that allows them to see how its electrons rearrange as the molecule changes shape.
Ultrafast Lasers Show Snapshot Of Electrons In Action
Seeded on Sun Nov 2, 2008 4:13 PM EST
Article Source: Science Daily- Enjoy this article? Help vote it up the 'Vine.
- Public Discussion (4)
Being able to watch and understand why the electrons did what they did is very useful in fields like alternative energy, according to the researchers.
I hate that basic research always must be tied, however nebulously, to broad objectives of an applied nature to merit news coverage. It is seems disingenuous to those with knowledge of the subject, as well as misleading to, and raising false expectations in, those who are not.
- 3 votes
#1 - Sun Nov 2, 2008 4:21 PM ESTI agree, however the article quoted the man himself:
"If we understand the nature of these processes, in the future we can then translate that knowledge into better technology, such as creating more efficient light-harvesting molecules or catalysis or perhaps even solar cells," Stolow said.
(Stolow is a member of the Canadian National Research Council's Steacie Institute for Molecular Sciences)
- 1 vote
#2 - Sun Nov 2, 2008 8:25 PM ESTWill we eventually get this down to sufficient resolution to do an end run around the old Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle?
IE, could we know position and velocity?
- 1 vote
#3 - Mon Nov 3, 2008 6:25 PM ESTWikipedia
Heisenberg uncertainty principle states that the position and momentum of a particle cannot both be known simultaneously.
The answer is no. No particle state has both definite position and velocity. The accuracy to which we know one is equal to the uncertainty to which we know the other. This is due to the Observer Effect. We can measure position/velocity with accuracy but the particle will collapse to a state where velocity/position is not defined. See the problem? It simply is not possible.
- 1 vote
You're in Easy Mode. If you prefer, you can use XHTML Mode instead. |
As a new user, you may notice a few temporary content restrictions. Click here for more info.
