Re: Dislocation creates 'whirlpool' that pulls surface atoms into crystal

From: Edward Green (spamspamspam3_at_netzero.com)
Date: 06/15/04 

Date: 15 Jun 2004 03:03:14 GMT

neutron_p@lycos.com (Neutron) wrote in message
news:<caimcq01bu9@enews4.newsguy.com>...
> spamspamspam3@netzero.com (Edward Green) wrote in message
> news:<caf84k01ss9@enews2.newsguy.com>...
> > neutron_p@lycos.com (Neutron) wrote in message
> > news:<ca8jgu0ndj@enews1.newsguy.com>...
> > > http://www.physorg.com/news160.html
> > >
> > > Developing novel ways to control the motion of atoms on surfaces is
> > > essential for the future of nanotechnology. Now, researchers at the
> > > University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have found a phenomenon of
> > > dislocation-driven nucleation and growth that creates holes that
> > > spiral into a surface and pull atoms into crystalline solids.
> >
> > An archtypical example of science reporting distortion:
> >
> > Any reasonable but naive observer would think they had "discovered"
> > dislocations. <...>
>
> Who told they discovered dislocations? :-/
>
> QUOTE
> ....found a phenomenon of dislocation-driven nucleation and growth ...

QUOTE

 " ...found a phenomenon of dislocation-driven nucleation and growth
that creates holes that spiral into a surface and pull atoms into
crystalline solids"

So they have found a phenomenon that creates holes that spiral into a
surface. That's the intersection of a screw dislocation with a
surface.

So maybe you're right; I'm guilty of hyperbole. They didn't discover
dislocations, merely that they occasionally intersect crystal
surfaces.

Actually, the writing is merely piss-poor: researchers found that the
site of intersection of a screw dislocation with a crystal surface,
which creates a hole which spirals into the surface, can pull atoms
into crystalline solids. They _writers_ have "nucleation and growth"
creating holes. Sloppy writing is a sign of sloppy thinking: Strunk
and White should rise from their graves and slay them.

[ Sci.nanotech moderator's note: Anyone wishing to discuss the writing style
  of the report should exclude the group sci.nanotech (or continue this thread
  on either misc.writing or alt.usage.english). Otherwise I'll simply elide
  sci.nanotech from any such post before approving. -JimL ]

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