There's a world out there with a hexagon vortex over its pole packed with hydrocarbon ice crystals. That planet is Saturn The giant hexagon-shaped storm raging atop Saturn’s North Pole is made out of frozen hydrocarbon ice suspended in seven hazy layers stacked on top of one another, according to a study published in Nature Communications on Friday. The swirling six-sided wonder, which El Reg once dubbed the hexacane, has perplexed scientists …
The scientists hope to study any changes in the hexacane’s structure to see how it evolves over time.
How? Cassini was allowed to burn up in Saturn's atmosphere and it's not as if we have anything else close enough to do the observations.
BTW. acetylene is properly known as ethene.
It is not pedantry if it's accuracy.
2,4,6 trinitromethylbenzene might be a little harder to say than TNT (methylbenzene used to be known as toluene) but anyone with a grasp of organic chemistry naming conventions could perfectly describe the structure.
You end up with silly long names for certain things, but that's better than randomly calling them Jeff.
Define accuracy.
If I call to have my welding tank(s) "refilled"[0] and ask for acetylene, that's exactly what I'm going to get. If I were to ask for ethyne, the guy on the phone would probably tell me they don't have any. The chemist in me hates it, the welder in me asks "Who gives a fuck?" ... In this scenario, which is accurate?
There are many words we use as names for things in the English vernacular that aren't actually accurate, and yet still describe exactly what we are talking about. The so-called "Pythagorean Theorem" comes to mind (see Plimpton 322). Likewise, the Panama Hat is made in Ecuador ... and the so-called "Hundred Years War" was actually three separate conflicts totaling about 81 years over a period of 116 years. Etc.
[0] Exchanged, actually.
"Define accuracy.
If I call to have my welding tank(s) "refilled"[0] and ask for acetylene, that's exactly what I'm going to get. If I were to ask for ethyne, the guy on the phone would probably tell me they don't have any. The chemist in me hates it, the welder in me asks "Who gives a fuck?" ... In this scenario, which is accurate?
"
In this scenario you are using terminology that is widely understood in the industry - acetylene is a reasonable thing to ask for (I'll wager it isn't 100% pure ethyne anyway).
If you were asking a chemist to manufacture some for you, because... post world war 3.. whatever.
Then knowing the actual chemical name is important - because acetylene doesn't actually describe the chemical, unless you happen to know that that chemical is called acetylene. The nomenclature of organic chem is very precise, because it has to be.
"unless you happen to know that that chemical is called acetylene."
Which would be every single English speaking person on the planet who actually uses the stuff. Including chemists.
"If you were asking a chemist to manufacture some for you, because... post world war 3.. whatever."
Whatever indeed. I'll cross that bridge if I come to it, and not a second earlier.
Some battles are just not worth fighting.
Of course in this particular case you should be fighting for Ethyne, not because it's accurate but because it's actually shorter than the 'nickname' of Acetylene.
I'd not suggest fighting hard (or even more than a cursory grunt at it occasionally), but the principle applies.
The accurate, and derivable, name is actually shorter and easier than the historical name - that's a pretty rare case.
"Great Twarkon!"
"Yes Minister Fnool."
"The earthlings are apparently unaware of our message."
"What? What?? How can they be unaware that we have been sending them signs for thousands of years? The rings, I mean the rings are they not obvious?"
"Obvious Great Twarkon, but the Earthlings even though they have calculated that these are ephemeral structures seem unable to draw the inference that they are therefore artificial."
"What about the Hexagon? I mean that's obvious isn't it? Nature abhors straight lines. The existence of six of them at the North Pole must a bit of a giveaway even to the most obtuse of species."
"Sadly not great one, they appear to be clue resistant."
"Well if they can't detect an emergency evacuation signal they just deserve to perish."
"Even so Great Twarkon."
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