X-Message-Number: 13742
Date: Thu, 18 May 2000 08:34:26 -0400
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: CryoNet #13726 - #13731

Hi Yvan (again):

If I properly understand just what you're saying, it still won't
work. Chemical compounds consist of atoms linked together; that
linkage is by electrons. If you can use X-rays to identify atoms
from carbon onward, you still need some way to work out which atom
is chemically attached to which other atoms. Physical nearness isn't
enough evidence. 

I will add that we may not need maps of each molecule (if we understand
only a bit more biochemistry than we do now, such maps will be generated
far earlier than any detailed brain scannin --- there's lots of work
going on right now to do that. One feature of biochemistry is that 
molecules contain many atoms, sometimes bound tightly, but their 
proximity does not imply that they are chemically linked).

			Best and long long life,

				Thomas Donaldson

PS: Yes, it would be nice to be able to see single atoms. And that 
would certainly HELP. But I'm saying that it won't answer all our        
questions.

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