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Designing the Molecular World
Some of the most exciting scientific developments in recent years have come not from theoretical physicists, astronomers, or molecular biologists but instead from the chemistry lab. Chemists have created superconducting ceramics for brain scanners, designed liquid crystal flat screens for televisions and watch displays, and made fabrics that change color while you wear them. They have fashioned metals from plastics, drugs from crude oil, and have pinpointed the chemical pollutants affecting our atmosphere and are now searching for remedies for the imperiled planet. Philip Ball, an editor for the prestigious magazine Nature, lets the lay reader into the world of modern chemistry. Here, for example, chemists find new uses for the improbable buckminsterfullerene molecules--60-atom carbon soccerballs, dubbed "buckyballs"--which seem to have applications for everything from lubrication to medicine to electronics.
The book is not intended as an introduction to chemistry, but as an accessible survey of recent developments throughout many of the major fields allied with chemistry: from research in traditional areas such as crystallography and spectroscopy to entirely new fields of study such as molecular electronics, artificial enzymes, and "smart" polymer gels. Ball's grand tour along the leading edge of scientific discovery will appeal to all curious readers, with or without any scientific training, to chemistry students looking for future careers, and to practicing chemical researchers looking for information on other specialties within their discipline.
The book is not intended as an introduction to chemistry, but as an accessible survey of recent developments throughout many of the major fields allied with chemistry: from research in traditional areas such as crystallography and spectroscopy to entirely new fields of study such as molecular electronics, artificial enzymes, and "smart" polymer gels. Ball's grand tour along the leading edge of scientific discovery will appeal to all curious readers, with or without any scientific training, to chemistry students looking for future careers, and to practicing chemical researchers looking for information on other specialties within their discipline.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1994
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About the author
Philip Ball
66 books498 followersPhilip Ball (born 1962) is an English science writer. He holds a degree in chemistry from Oxford and a doctorate in physics from Bristol University. He was an editor for the journal Nature for over 10 years. He now writes a regular column in Chemistry World. Ball's most-popular book is the 2004 Critical Mass: How One Things Leads to Another, winner of the 2005 Aventis Prize for Science Books. It examines a wide range of topics including the business cycle, random walks, phase transitions, bifurcation theory, traffic flow, Zipf's law, Small world phenomenon, catastrophe theory, the Prisoner's dilemma. The overall theme is one of applying modern mathematical models to social and economic phenomena.
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October 21, 2016So, concerning (on page 4): 'The tiny corner of chemistry in which paint is contrived holds unguessed surprises, and supplies as good an illustration as any other of the way in which an understanding of the chemical nature of substances helps us to control the shape and form of our world.', I wonder to what extent it would be accurate to understand that Philip Ball is primarily concerned with the foundations of coercion and control, taking into account the general thrust of the theme on p282? On page 5: 'Magnets too can now be made without a metal in sight, based on carbon- and nitrogen-containing molecules more like those found in the organic world.' appears to be especially sloppy. And similarly on p211 in inverted commas.
In more general terms, the beginning of the book may be able to shed some more light on particular features of the educational merits of the core curriculum from a pedagogical perspective which may contribute to some of the conversations on the subject in public policy venues. The basic layout of a fivefold tiling pattern is described neatly on p127, unfortunately without an assessment of its fundamental merits and disadvantages, which may be worthy of consideration elsewhere at/in an appropriate time/setting.
The truncated icosahedron is the geeky name for the shape of the C60 molecule, more commonly known as buckminsterfullerene, which looks like a soccer ball, and on p46, we learn that it has a prior history. And, on p213, talent too.
#thethingoverthere - p48, p51, p54, p55, p58, p71, p72, p76, p77, p78, p79, p80, p82, p85, p87, p89; p94 needs to be handled and addressed carefully; p103, p107, p113, p125, p126, p134, p135, p140, p146, p147, p161, p163, p165, p167, p172, p173, p178; p189 appears to be acutely mischievous, as does p195; p197, p210, p216, p217, p218, p219, p225, p229, p231; p240 needs to be handled and addressed carefully; p242, p243, p248, p263, p273, p284, p286, p292, p296, p298, p305, p311, p316, p325 (is this about the hockey team singing practice?), p327, p329, p346
The use of the inverted commas is given an explanation with an embellishment on p136 and p138. In material-speak, concerning p137, is the community ready to postulate yet that the star of David appears to be remarkably similar to a 111-slice through a fcc crystal? Now, let's consider the implications at/in an appropriate time/setting. p227 appears to have a lot going on in inverted commas that needs to be de-convoluted relating to a good molecule-bad molecule separation. And similarly, but separately on p340 and p342.
#thelowestcommondenominator - p60
#traffickedpersons - p63, p64, p69, p84, p93, p109, p114, p184, pp200-2, p213, p233, p247
#torture - p66, p68, p69, p95, p100, p110, p198, p222
#warcrimes - p74, p99, p108, p274, p310
#mischief - p92, p116, p131, p179, plate 11, plate 13, p203; concerning, on p217: 'The incredible shrinking gels. Solid or liquid? Let me tell you...' I can tell you that the latter was performed magnificently at this year's proms; p223, p226, p234, p248, p249, p252, p264, p280, p295, p299, pp306-10, p314, p318, p319, p321
#ransom - p98
'Yet what chemists crave,' quoth Mr Ball on p83, 'is to see these things for real' we are informed, 'rather than as plastic models on the benchtop or computer images on TV screens.' Gosh. He continues: 'And more -' to underline the point, 'they would like to see this world in action,' in the prescribed manner, 'with molecules whizzing through space and chemistry unfolding before their eyes.' by the prescribed method. Quoth Mr Ball further: 'They are now finding ways to do so.' to which we should presumably nod in approval. Don't scratch that itch! Particularly on p91. And presumably similarly, but separately on p267.
(p104 - then, your bond; and let me see-but hear you. 'Therefore,' quoth Ball, 'the excited states dissociate spontaneously because there is no energy barrier to prevent this.' Perhaps a proper wall is required in this context. p106 - Antonio shall become -it is certainly something!)
#howthethingovertherepresents - p119, p120, p209
Packets of text in inverted commas not quoting direct speech are absent on pp270-1; they return on p272.
#aphids - p123, p124, p132, p133, p148, p151, p154, p158, p166, p168, p169, p177, p188, p190, p191, p206, p218, p224, p251, p254, p262, p265, p266, p272, p288, p291, p292, p294, p297, p300, p301, p302, p303, p304, p312, p324, p338, p341, p345, p348.
#totallyunacceptable - p180
And, concerning, pp186-7, arrangements may need to be made to address the concerns of those minded to recommend that Mr Ball should conduct his semi-euphemism thither! Mr Ball isn't doing so on p193: mind the gap! And so what would be the significance, corollaries and consequences of the aphids on p194?
#spectralaphids - p204, p246
Presumably once the beginning of p239 has been de-convoluted, we can consider why Mr Ball would want to do such things. Would there be a better way to address and resolve the other thing in inverted commas? The flatland in geek-speak is called the stereographic projection, and learning how to work with them gave me quite a headache. Don't scratch that itch!
p255 appears to merit particular attention. And on p285, 'The problem of the chicken and the egg, far from being a trivial philosophical paradox, provides a singularly apt metaphor for the origin of life' needs to be untangled and worked through. And similarly, but separately on p299.
The arguments on pp259-61 may be sufficiently grounded to work through the general concerns that Sam Harris has; a particular manifestation of the latter's activities and reactions needs to be addressed satisfactorily elsewhere, whilst recognising his concerns about immediate intuition which pops up on p269. And presumably the arguments on p275-7 in inverted commas are capable of being presented in a courtroom. Can we find out what the matters are that concern Mr Ball on p290? The implicit arguments on p313 need to be de-convoluted and extracted for proper examination. And similarly, but separately on p320. The reference to ground zero on p349 is not appropriate.
On p324, we are told that there is a principal agent that converts the energy from the sun into chemical disequilibrium: you may put it away, Mr Ball (and behave on p347!). How should we address the difference between this particular principal agent difficulty and other principal-agent problems more generally (whilst recognising the diversity of opinion that presents concerning moral hazard)? The first this on p326 needs to be de-convoluted and the content on the rest of the page can be addressed.
On page 331, Mr Ball writes: "The most important greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nirous oxide (N2O) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)." So far, so uncontroversial; he continues: "In actual fact, atmospheric water vapo(u)r has a larger warming effect than any of these because it absorbs IR radiation very strongly, but nevertheless it is not usually classified as a true greenhouse gas because mankind's activities have almost no direct influence on its concentration in the atmosphere." At this point, it might be worth formalising what the correlations of fig 10.2 are saying, and what the basis and corollaries of these arguments would be, mindful that some of them may not be particularly fashionable; the theme appears to be warmed up a bit on p332. The point about the greenhouse fingerprint, even in inverted commas, on p336 is well-made and taken; what else appears to be generally relevant on this page?
In more general terms, the beginning of the book may be able to shed some more light on particular features of the educational merits of the core curriculum from a pedagogical perspective which may contribute to some of the conversations on the subject in public policy venues. The basic layout of a fivefold tiling pattern is described neatly on p127, unfortunately without an assessment of its fundamental merits and disadvantages, which may be worthy of consideration elsewhere at/in an appropriate time/setting.
The truncated icosahedron is the geeky name for the shape of the C60 molecule, more commonly known as buckminsterfullerene, which looks like a soccer ball, and on p46, we learn that it has a prior history. And, on p213, talent too.
#thethingoverthere - p48, p51, p54, p55, p58, p71, p72, p76, p77, p78, p79, p80, p82, p85, p87, p89; p94 needs to be handled and addressed carefully; p103, p107, p113, p125, p126, p134, p135, p140, p146, p147, p161, p163, p165, p167, p172, p173, p178; p189 appears to be acutely mischievous, as does p195; p197, p210, p216, p217, p218, p219, p225, p229, p231; p240 needs to be handled and addressed carefully; p242, p243, p248, p263, p273, p284, p286, p292, p296, p298, p305, p311, p316, p325 (is this about the hockey team singing practice?), p327, p329, p346
The use of the inverted commas is given an explanation with an embellishment on p136 and p138. In material-speak, concerning p137, is the community ready to postulate yet that the star of David appears to be remarkably similar to a 111-slice through a fcc crystal? Now, let's consider the implications at/in an appropriate time/setting. p227 appears to have a lot going on in inverted commas that needs to be de-convoluted relating to a good molecule-bad molecule separation. And similarly, but separately on p340 and p342.
#thelowestcommondenominator - p60
#traffickedpersons - p63, p64, p69, p84, p93, p109, p114, p184, pp200-2, p213, p233, p247
#torture - p66, p68, p69, p95, p100, p110, p198, p222
#warcrimes - p74, p99, p108, p274, p310
#mischief - p92, p116, p131, p179, plate 11, plate 13, p203; concerning, on p217: 'The incredible shrinking gels. Solid or liquid? Let me tell you...' I can tell you that the latter was performed magnificently at this year's proms; p223, p226, p234, p248, p249, p252, p264, p280, p295, p299, pp306-10, p314, p318, p319, p321
#ransom - p98
'Yet what chemists crave,' quoth Mr Ball on p83, 'is to see these things for real' we are informed, 'rather than as plastic models on the benchtop or computer images on TV screens.' Gosh. He continues: 'And more -' to underline the point, 'they would like to see this world in action,' in the prescribed manner, 'with molecules whizzing through space and chemistry unfolding before their eyes.' by the prescribed method. Quoth Mr Ball further: 'They are now finding ways to do so.' to which we should presumably nod in approval. Don't scratch that itch! Particularly on p91. And presumably similarly, but separately on p267.
(p104 - then, your bond; and let me see-but hear you. 'Therefore,' quoth Ball, 'the excited states dissociate spontaneously because there is no energy barrier to prevent this.' Perhaps a proper wall is required in this context. p106 - Antonio shall become -it is certainly something!)
#howthethingovertherepresents - p119, p120, p209
Packets of text in inverted commas not quoting direct speech are absent on pp270-1; they return on p272.
#aphids - p123, p124, p132, p133, p148, p151, p154, p158, p166, p168, p169, p177, p188, p190, p191, p206, p218, p224, p251, p254, p262, p265, p266, p272, p288, p291, p292, p294, p297, p300, p301, p302, p303, p304, p312, p324, p338, p341, p345, p348.
#totallyunacceptable - p180
And, concerning, pp186-7, arrangements may need to be made to address the concerns of those minded to recommend that Mr Ball should conduct his semi-euphemism thither! Mr Ball isn't doing so on p193: mind the gap! And so what would be the significance, corollaries and consequences of the aphids on p194?
#spectralaphids - p204, p246
Presumably once the beginning of p239 has been de-convoluted, we can consider why Mr Ball would want to do such things. Would there be a better way to address and resolve the other thing in inverted commas? The flatland in geek-speak is called the stereographic projection, and learning how to work with them gave me quite a headache. Don't scratch that itch!
p255 appears to merit particular attention. And on p285, 'The problem of the chicken and the egg, far from being a trivial philosophical paradox, provides a singularly apt metaphor for the origin of life' needs to be untangled and worked through. And similarly, but separately on p299.
The arguments on pp259-61 may be sufficiently grounded to work through the general concerns that Sam Harris has; a particular manifestation of the latter's activities and reactions needs to be addressed satisfactorily elsewhere, whilst recognising his concerns about immediate intuition which pops up on p269. And presumably the arguments on p275-7 in inverted commas are capable of being presented in a courtroom. Can we find out what the matters are that concern Mr Ball on p290? The implicit arguments on p313 need to be de-convoluted and extracted for proper examination. And similarly, but separately on p320. The reference to ground zero on p349 is not appropriate.
On p324, we are told that there is a principal agent that converts the energy from the sun into chemical disequilibrium: you may put it away, Mr Ball (and behave on p347!). How should we address the difference between this particular principal agent difficulty and other principal-agent problems more generally (whilst recognising the diversity of opinion that presents concerning moral hazard)? The first this on p326 needs to be de-convoluted and the content on the rest of the page can be addressed.
On page 331, Mr Ball writes: "The most important greenhouse gases are carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nirous oxide (N2O) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)." So far, so uncontroversial; he continues: "In actual fact, atmospheric water vapo(u)r has a larger warming effect than any of these because it absorbs IR radiation very strongly, but nevertheless it is not usually classified as a true greenhouse gas because mankind's activities have almost no direct influence on its concentration in the atmosphere." At this point, it might be worth formalising what the correlations of fig 10.2 are saying, and what the basis and corollaries of these arguments would be, mindful that some of them may not be particularly fashionable; the theme appears to be warmed up a bit on p332. The point about the greenhouse fingerprint, even in inverted commas, on p336 is well-made and taken; what else appears to be generally relevant on this page?
February 7, 2016
Philip Ball does it again. I've read a few of his other books, and he always delivers- the science is both in-depth and fascinating, and even the concepts I was already familiar with were presented in such a way that I went away with a better understanding.
As for the specific topics he covers in this book, every one of them was fascinating in its own way. If you have an interest in chemistry and would like to learn about some really interesting and specific areas of semi-modern (the book was written in 1994) research, you would probably really enjoy this book.
As for the specific topics he covers in this book, every one of them was fascinating in its own way. If you have an interest in chemistry and would like to learn about some really interesting and specific areas of semi-modern (the book was written in 1994) research, you would probably really enjoy this book.
March 21, 2011
Lot's of typos and grammatical errors, but this is all essential to understanding nano-technology. ( I'm surprised < or maybe shouldn't be > that there aren't more books like this surfacing ) Have to move on to ' Made to Measure ' which is basically vol. 2. { Also, books like this really need to be made into interactive DVD < except that DVDs are going away > }
May 19, 2007
Seriously a sweet book. Read it while I was in Europe. It's easy to read, but wonderfully informative. Made me feel better informed in a very general way.
December 2, 2015
This is my favorite scientific book! The author has written many scientific books, but this is the best. Everyone with an interest in science should read this book.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews