Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Science/2012 May 26

= May 26 =

Catenanes
Would a very long catenane (for instance, a [1,000,000]-catenane) conduct electricity from one end to the other? Whoop whoop pull up Bitching Betty 20:36, 26 May 2012 (UTC)
 * That would depend on the chemical nature of the catenane. Plasmic Physics (talk) 21:01, 26 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Chemical compounds with Covalent bonds are not electrically conductive. DriveByWire (talk) 21:12, 26 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Of course they can be, see polythiazyl. Plasmic Physics (talk) 21:27, 26 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Back to the original question please… Whoop whoop pull up Bitching Betty 21:42, 27 May 2012 (UTC)
 * I gave you an answer. Plasmic Physics (talk) 22:00, 27 May 2012 (UTC)
 * So, as an example, would a [1,000,000]-catenane consisting of 1,000,000 linked rings of polyacetylene be able to conduct electricity from one end to the other? Whoop whoop pull up Bitching Betty 22:20, 27 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Rings of polyacetylene should not be able to conduct electricity from one to another. Plasmic Physics (talk) 03:02, 28 May 2012 (UTC)
 * So, in other words, the answer is not "That would depend on the chemical nature of the catenane" since irrespective of the chemical nature of the catenane, there's no conduction between rings? 203.27.72.5 (talk) 03:30, 28 May 2012 (UTC)
 * No, because zwitterionic catenanes may conduct. Plasmic Physics (talk) 07:32, 28 May 2012 (UTC)
 * ????? Whoop whoop pull up Bitching Betty 12:58, 28 May 2012 (UTC)
 * ?????? I really don't know how to answer that, except that I am more confused than you (hence the extra question mark). Plasmic Physics (talk) 00:04, 29 May 2012 (UTC)
 * "No, because zwitterionic catenanes may conduct." Explain, please. Whoop whoop pull up Bitching Betty 19:56, 29 May 2012 (UTC)
 * I was thinking about the flow of protons instead of electrons, there would still be a flow of charge carriers, perhaps not electricity in the conventional sense. Plasmic Physics (talk) 05:25, 30 May 2012 (UTC)

What's so paradoxical about Paleoparadoxia?
Paleoparadoxia translates as "ancient puzzle". Curious if there was a particular reason for it getting that name. The article doesn't seem to mention anything very puzzling about it. the wub "?!"  21:24, 26 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Reliable sources are hard to come by. An article at about.com says, "Named by a bemused paleontologist after its odd mix of features, Paleoparadoxia (Greek for "ancient puzzle") had a large, horse-like head, a squat, walrus-like trunk, and splayed, inward-curving legs more reminiscent of a prehistoric crocodile than a megafauna mammal." Looie496 (talk) 22:03, 26 May 2012 (UTC)