An interesting article was posted regarding a researcher who has turned 99 years of chemistry teaching on its head. It regards hypervalency in nitrogen groups. This is fascinating for chemists, of course, but let's delve more deeply....
For 99 years students have been taught incorrectly. It was an honest mistake, there is no conspiracy here.
However, 25 years ago, the mistake was discovered. Yet, the convention was still in the chemistry books.
Now, Dr. Durrant has solidified the understanding, forging the final nail in the coffin of an earnest but errant construct.
So even though 25 years ago this was proven incorrect, chemistry books did not change. It will be interesting to see if and when chemistry books change now.
1) Perhaps education needs to stop relying on text books and start relying more on observation and current expertise. Granted this will be more difficult, but honestly, the education system needs a shake up anyway.
2) No element of science is immune to error. This is not theoretical physics, this is basic chemistry that one would presume is pretty foundational.
3) We cannot hang our hats, our prides, or our research on any "proven" foundation but must enter every experiment or discovery with open minds and wonder. We never know when we will have been building on false foundations or if the natural world will change somehow to throw a wrench into our understanding.
Thoughts?
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