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1. focus

2. Cleveland State University • Established in 1964 • Started as private Fenn College in 1929 • Current student population: ~16,000 • Degree awarded: ~4,000 per year

3. Department of Chemistry • 14 CSU and 32 CCF faculty members • 5 staff members • ~ 60 students in PhD degree program • ~ 20 students in MS degree program • ~ 200 students in BS degree program

4. PhD Program in Clinical-Bioanalytical Chemistry • The joint doctoral degree program between a chemistry department (CSU) and a medical research institute (CCF) is unique in the nation. Our students are given unprecedented opportunities to do research in basic biomedical research laboratories. • This program has a research focus toward a better understanding of the chemistry of living systems, development of novel medicines and therapies that can cure currently untreatable diseases, and development novel bioanalytical technologies for investigational drugs and biomaterials, and for diagnosis of diseases. • It is the only PhD program in the US accredited by the Commission of Accreditation in Clinical Chemistry.

5. Science, Skepticism, and the Benefits of Random Knowledge David W. Ball Department of Chemistry Cleveland State University Cleveland, Ohio

6. What is Science? • Science is what scientists do. • Science is a way of knowing about the universe. • Science is not facts or knowledge, but a method by which we determine facts or knowledge.

7. Science is the process of studying the natural universe through observation and experiment.

8. Science is the process of studying the natural universe through observation and experiment.

9. Science is the process of studying the natural universe through observation and experiment.

10. Science is the process of studying the natural universe through observation and experiment. Observation + experiment →evidence (and nothing should be accepted without evidence!)

11. Science is that which is falsifiable. • K. Popper, 1902 - 94 • Definition is not reflexive: something may be falsifiable but still not be science • Ex: The word for this color is gub4s.

12. Why go through all this trouble? • Nature doesn’t care about our models. • “Nature is subtle.” • Carl Sagan, 1935 - 97 THEREFORE WE MUST BE WARY

13. How do scientists work? THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD • Hypothesize a model • Test the model • Refine the model

14. “NOT.”- Wayne’s World • Scientists do not follow the Scientific Method explicitly. • That’s because in the last few hundred years, a self-consistent explanation of the universe has been forthcoming; we build on that. • PROBLEM: There is potential for complacency because we ‘think’ we know what’s going on. • Many scientists lack proper degree of skepticism (IMHO).

15. What is Skepticism? • It’s the philosophical doctrine that suggests the truth of all knowledge must always be in question, and that the process of inquiry must include doubt. • Skeptics don’t simply disbelieve; they may doubt a conclusion and require additional evidence before acknowledgement of truth. • Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.

16. Skepticism (cont.) • Skeptics don’t question everything! • ‘1 + 1 = 2’ vs. ‘The world was created 6000 years ago’ • Degree of doubt is an important issue • What happens when I drop a hammer? • What will the weather be like next Tuesday?

17. TOO OFTEN, WE DON’T ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS(i.e. we’re not skeptical enough) EXAMPLES OF NOT QUESTIONING PROPERLY MIGHT INCLUDE: • ADVERTISING & PROMOTIONS? • POLITICAL ISSUES? • ALIEN VISITATIONS? • COLD FUSION?

18. Cold Fusion • 1989 – Utah scientists Pons, Fleischman announced ‘fusion in a test tube’ • Claimed to detect radiation, neutrons, helium consistent with a fusion reaction • Announcement made at press conference, copies of paper sent by fax all over world (before it was reviewed by other scientists)

19. Cold Fusion (cont.) • Much criticism of announcement process • Many scientists immediately believed, disbelieved • Knee-jerk reactions on either side constituted poor science. (Need evidence!) • State of Utah gave $5M • Scientists all around world tried to duplicate

20. Results? • Unable to duplicate claims • Much criticism of original work, done very sloppily • State of Utah withdrew funding • While some hold on to hope, most people now believe no such phenomenon • Pons, Fleischman currently living in obscurity

21. What (Hopefully) Did We Learn? • People (even scientists) willing to believe • Belief doesn’t make things true, though. • Lack of appropriate skepticism • “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof” applies to science as well as ESP, ghosts, and UFOs

22. Not everyone learned… • BlackLight Power Company claims to have a process to put electron in hydrogen in a “state below the ground state”: ‘hydrinos’. • Based on ‘classical quantum mechanics’, which is claimed to unify GR, SR, Maxwell’s laws, Newton’s laws. • Apparently raised $10M+ in venture capital.

23. Obvious problems, science issues: • seems to describe H atom using H.O. wavefunction (invalid from start?) • mixes true statements with questionable ones • writing is in a very obfuscating manner • all direct evidence is ‘proprietary intellectual property’, including catalyst used to induce transition and ‘novel compounds’ formed upon reaction of ‘hydrino’ species • (you can check it out at www.blacklightpower.com)

24. CAS search reveals: • 12 patent applications by PI • 8 conference, meeting abstracts • 7 journal articles • Most in Fusion Technology, some with a pro ‘cold fusion’ bias, some with imaginative results (i.e. identification of H16-) or other lesser journals. • What would a proper skeptical view of these claims be?

25. Common thread: lack of application of appropriate level of skepticism • Scientists not immune • Human factors can (and do) invade the scientific endeavor • Ultimately, science is self-correcting – that’s what makes it such a useful process!

26. KNOWLEDGE IS IMPORTANT AS WELL. • Although science is not “facts” per se, knowledge is important because it allows us to determine our point of ignorance and push it back. • Problem: never know what knowledge will be useful. • Another problem: cannot dictate new knowledge (“If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn’t be research”). • So: know as much as possible.

27. On the benefits of useless knowledge…. ($2,522,700)

28. Another example… • 1962 – Neil Bartlett – UBC – noted that PtF6 reacted with O2 to make O2+PtF6-. • Supposedly realized O2vs. Xe: • Similar sizes • Similar ionization energies • Mixed Xe with PtF6 – immediate reaction to make a yellow compound of questionable stoichiometry but known to contain Xe. • Several (80+) Xe compounds synthesized to date.

29. Another example from my own experiences…. • Recently joined the Scientific American Book Club • As a new member, got five free books: • A book on p • A book on e • A book on i, • A book on ∞ • A book on f

30. What is f? The golden ratio Consider a line segment: C B A The line segment is said to be divided into segments having the golden ratio if the ratio of the whole to the longer is the same as the longer to the shorter:

31. The numerical value of f is about 1.618, and is given by the formula • The golden ratio has some neat mathematical properties:

32. The golden rectangle • A rectangle whose sides are in the ratio of f is called a golden rectangle and is thought to be aesthetically pleasing: A B

33. Is it, really? Let’s test. A B C D

34. Urban legend has it that many famous art works, classical architecture use the golden ratio to size objects. Analysis suggests that dependability on the golden ratio in the art, architectural world is overblown.

35. The golden ratio was known to the ancients. How do we know? Knowing it is necessary to draw a perfect pentagram: A B

36. Anything with 5-sided symmetry is related to f. • Daydream: what in chemistry has five-fold symmetry (and so is related to f)? • Cyclopentadiene, C5H5- • Ferrocene, Fe(C5H5)2 • Quasicrystals (overlapping 10-fold symmetry) • Buckminsterfullerene, C60 • …and then a thought hit me…

37. What is this?

39. Our research: computational chemistry of new potential high energy materials • Standard computer programs used to determine properties (GAUSSIAN03 on Ohio Supercomputer Center) • High level theory to accurately predict the energy properties of “pentagramane”

40. Optimized geometry:

41. Is it kinetically stable? Erel = 88.6 kJ/mol Erel = 0 kJ/mol Erel = -179.4 kJ/mol

42. How energetic is it? Enthalpies of combustion of pentagramane Reaction G2 G3 In kJ mol-1 [1] -6369.6 -6369.1 [2] -6375.9 -6379.2 [3] -6404.3 -6392.0 [4] -6389.0 -6393.6 In kJ g-1 [1] -48.9 -48.9 [2] -49.0 -49.0 [3] -49.2 -48.9 [4] -49.1 -49.1

43. Can it really be made? Consider: The following compounds HAVE been reported in the literature (Zefirov, N. S.; Kozhushkov, S. I.; Kuznetsova, T. S.; Kokoreva, O. V.; Lukin, K. A.; Ugrak, B. I.; Tratch, S. S. J. Am. Chem. Soc.1990, 112, 7702-7): …can pentagramane be far behind?

44. …so just because I read some books on interesting math’l concepts, a research paper on an unusual and unique molecule was published!

45. CONCLUDING REMARKS • Scientific inquiry should use skepticism appropriately • Skepticism should not be limited to science: politics, religion, advertising, societal changes, etc. • Even random knowledge can help us develop a better understanding of the natural universe

46. …and may even help you get rich. $2,522,700

47. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Ohio Supercomputer Center Scientific American Book Club Cleveland State University Chemistry Department