# Scientists produce the first direct image of the structure of a molecule

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientists-produce-the-first-direct-image-of-the-structure-of-a-molecule/508038>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [August 28, 2009, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientists-produce-the-first-direct-image-of-the-structure-of-a-molecule/508038 "2009-08-28T15:59:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientists-produce-the-first-direct-image-of-the-structure-of-a-molecule/508038/1 "2009-08-28T15:59:56Z")

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> **[Microscopes zoom in on molecules at last](https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17699-microscopes-zoom-in-on-molecules-at-last/)**
>
> Decades after the first microscope pictures of atoms, take a look at the first ever close-up of a molecule

This is fucking amazing. They’ve managed to essentially take a picture of a pentacene molecule with an atomic force microscope. It looks just like the diagrams you see in a chemistry book.

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**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\
**Post date:** [August 28, 2009, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientists-produce-the-first-direct-image-of-the-structure-of-a-molecule/508038/2 "2009-08-28T16:04:46Z")

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Cool. Nano-caterpillars.

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**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2009, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientists-produce-the-first-direct-image-of-the-structure-of-a-molecule/508038/3 "2009-08-29T05:33:30Z")

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Yeh, I saw that while thumbing through [digg.com](http://digg.com). Really drives it home. Now, imagine, where those gray fuzzy lines connect, how _so_ incredibly teeny-tiny the protons and electrons are, somewhere in there.

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**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2009, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientists-produce-the-first-direct-image-of-the-structure-of-a-molecule/508038/4 "2009-08-29T08:12:21Z")

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Wonderous times, no?  
I suppose _this_ is the begining of the Atom Age, up until a few years ago we were just limited to bashing atoms to pieces like cavemen, but now it’s time to herd those suckers into doing our bidding.

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**Author:** ![NinetyWt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@NinetyWt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinetyWt)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2009, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientists-produce-the-first-direct-image-of-the-structure-of-a-molecule/508038/5 "2009-08-29T13:36:30Z")

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Utterly amazing. 🙂

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**Author:** ![shantih](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@shantih](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shantih)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2009, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scientists-produce-the-first-direct-image-of-the-structure-of-a-molecule/508038/6 "2009-08-29T13:41:30Z")

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> [@thirdname](#):
>
> It looks just like the diagrams you see in a chemistry book.

Pfft. Where’re the letters and subscript numbers? This is clearly someone’s lame idea of a practical joke. Lame-ass Photoshopper.

Seriously, how amazing is that? Science rules!