Evening star., 1939-05-18
Of Stors, Men
And Atoms
Notebook Of Science Progress
In Field, Laboratory
And Study
BIZ Thomas r. Henry.

By ThOn1aS Il. Henry.
The old Chem lab" generation hence
promises to be the most popular place on
the campus-at least for the boys-with
chorus girls and strip teasers taking the
parts of atoms and molecules and repro
ducing the shimmying dances of the
chemical elements.
A suggestion for this sort of chemistry
teaching has come recently from the
dignified American Chemical Society it
self, lamenting the failure of teachers to
get at the romance and beauty of the
dynamic structure of matter. A preview
of what freshman chemistry in 1850 may
be was presented at the convention of
the society in Baltimore.
"A famous psychiatrist once said,"
reads the society's description of the
event, that if it were possible to intro
duce sex into mathematics we would all
be Sir Isaac Newtons." 1t found way
of putting sex into chemistry with a
vengeance, although college presidents
may not see the light for few years yet
THE present method of teaching" con-
tinues the announcement of ballet Of
fered for the brain-fagged chemists, "is
hopelessly old-fashioned. 1t was good
enough a century ago when we believed
atoms were cold, hard, static affairs
something like billiard balls But today
we are enlightened We know that an
atom is very much alive. 1t vibrateS
with energy in dance patterns that would
make Nautch dancer jealous. 1t carries
a cloud of electron wave functions rival
ing the most elaborate Paris coiffure.
Have teachers of chemistry taken
advantage of all this progress? Who
would ever fail to understand the vibra-
tions of hydrogen if he had felt them
while dancing with a beautiful living
atom in his arms? Who would ever
forget the position of the bonds in ben
zene if he had played the part of a
carbon atom wheeling around with
lovely hands holding hil.I on either side"
The music for these dances will be
the music of the atoms themselves, trans
mitted through spectroscope and micro
phone into the voices of violins and clari-
nets. This music, continues the deScrip-
ton, lis based wherever possible on the
frequencieS of the vibrations present in
the real molecules, these optical frequen-
cies being transposed to the audible range
by dividing them by the velocity of
light"
Then comes the atomic dance itself, as
described by the American Chemical So
ciety's futurist educator:
First the hydrogens, clothed in bril-
liant red appear and trip through gay
waltz expressive of their JOY at the escape
from the harsh gas laws that usually
confine them. Then two atoms in black,
carbons, emerge and grab four hydrogens
each. Their kinetic freedom lost, the hy-
drogens now execute vibrations around
the carbon atoms (methane, correspond
ing to spectroscopic frequencies of 1900,
$500, 1900 and 5000 cm-7). AS those fire.
quencies active in the Raman effect are
executed, the Oriental background may
be noted and when the infrared vibra-
tions are carried out, the stage glows
with mysterious rosy light.
Then four more carbons enter and
join the groups. The molecules are sud-
denly aware of their gaseous nature and
the atoms execute nuclear spins as the
fast throbbing chords of the ethylene
and acetylene dance are heard. AS the
tempo reaches its climax a new atom in
lustrous metallic garb enters, the cat
alyst. Under her influence the acetylene
molecules rearrange and, joining bonds,
from the benZene ring. AS the orches-
ira plays variations on the colorful chro-
matte chord of benzene, the ring expands
and contracts, hydrogens sway back and
forth, and the different symmetrical mo-
tions of the molecule are symbolized
"As the atoms pause to display their
true nature in the ultraviolet light,
suddenly a swift leaping form darts
across the stage, trailing flames 1t is
fire, come to destroy the molecular ar
rangement which has just been syn
thesized and change it to products of
combustion Following fire, the oxygen
atoms clothed in blue enter, and seize
the hydrogens and carbons. First there
is dance of the water molecules thus
formed. Then carbon monoxide and car
bon doxide take the center of the stage
in an equilibrium exchange with the
oXygens.
There is momentary pause while
water and carbon monoxide combine to
form methyl alcohol. AS the synthesis
proceeds the music turns into a synco-
pated cakewalk, the dance of ethyl al
cohol. After a swift whirl, the atoms
hesitate, swaying and staggering about,
intoxicated by the motions they have
discovered in this new form of combina-
ton. Then the chemist awakens and
rushes to the center of the stage. He is
petrified at the sight of the escaped
atoms In desperation he seizes the
switch of the cyclotron and starts the
atom smasher. AS the apparatus flashes
into action, neutrons pour forth from it
and fly among the atoms, breaking up
the molecular formations and reducing
the group to a seething, chaotic mass,
from which various groups reform tenn
porarily and on which the curtain finally