From owner-chemistry@ccl.net Wed Nov 30 21:54:10 2005
From: "Sengen Sun sengensun^yahoo.com" <owner-chemistry=server.ccl.net>
To: CCL
Subject: CCL: question on molecular orbitals in CO and NO
Message-Id: <-30135-051130212726-16240-n4bCnJaStMmo681Ftu9Naw=server.ccl.net>
X-Original-From: Sengen Sun <sengensun ~ yahoo.com>
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Date: Wed, 30 Nov 2005 18:27:04 -0800 (PST)
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Sent to CCL by: Sengen Sun [sengensun^_^yahoo.com]



I like Steinmetz’s comment “that Hoffmann is a poet
and uses metaphors to convey insight.”

This is exactly my problem to understand metaphors.
But based on the direct meaning of word-by-word, there
could be the following choices:

(A) There are clearly different philosophical opinions
on orbitals based on the quote and the discussions.
(B) No issue here. All the opinions are essentially
the same.
(C) It is not clear whether there is a difference.
(D) All A, B, and C.
(E) Not A, not B, and not C.

My choice is A. 

Has photoelectron spectroscopy provided us with
experimental proof of the ways orbitals interact? 

To Hoffmann, the answer is yes.
To Noko Phala, Ulrike Salzner and an anonymity, the
answer is NO. 
To Alan Shusterman, yes and no (it depends). (Correct
me if I am wrong).

This is actually my original concern. Science has
advanced to such an stage of complexity that
scientists have the difficulty to understand each
other even how to define an issue. I bet that students
like me have a hard time to understand.

Sengen


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