tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290973459084131413.post2893024198837013129..comments2024-03-23T06:42:28.774+08:00Comments on the view from fanling: bbc english #5: explaining scienceDennis Hodgsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09409579380626581592noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290973459084131413.post-17020926277922640122012-03-01T19:33:54.289+08:002012-03-01T19:33:54.289+08:00Jon, I think you’re right in saying that ‘extremel...Jon, I think you’re right in saying that ‘extremely small scale’ is an adequate substitute for ‘nanoscale’, and also that explaining charge distribution as a probability function is at the heart of the difficulty. Part of the problem, at least for British readers, is that the image of an atom as having concentric shells of electron orbits, like a mini solar system, is a gross over-simplification.Dennis Hodgsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09409579380626581592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8290973459084131413.post-75468086576879265232012-03-01T05:38:45.977+08:002012-03-01T05:38:45.977+08:00It's interesting. It's striking that the ...It's interesting. It's striking that the more precise and accurate description (which you fill in) actually makes the ideas clearer, more intelligible. <br /><br />I do understand the difficult position that the writer to a lay audience finds himself in -- I don't know of a perfect solution when balancing accuracy on one hand with use of language familiar to non-experts on the otherJonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11031084152042320962noreply@blogger.com