Top all-time · #11014
Condensed concepts
Personal blog · condensedconcepts.blogspot.comscience
Condensed concepts is a personal blog at condensedconcepts.blogspot.com about science. Since 2010, 7 different Hacker News readers have linked it 11 times. It is still writing: the last post was on 2026-10-18, and you can follow it by feed.
Too few sampled comments (5) to say how often HN recommends it.?
Why HN links it
HN commenters link this blog's posts on quantum coherence in photosynthesis (the Fenna-Matthews-Olson complex) and on cuprate superconductors, mostly as sources in discussions of those topics.
Summarised by Claude from a sample of 5 HN comments that link here. Each comment is marked recommending, critical or neutral (citing without judging); how this works.
Ruminations on emergent phenomena in condensed phases of matter
What Hacker News says?
There has been an on and off big deal about the so called Fenna-Matthews-Olson complex. Some people were big proponents of quantum coherence playing a role in its photosynthetic energy transfer mechanism (based on extrapolating from close to 0 K measurements, mind!) Others ( http://condensedconcepts.blogspot.com/2012/07/details-do-mat... ) cast some doubt.
Comment linking /2012/07/details-do-matter-in-photosynthesis.html
on “A new theoretical model suggests quantum entanglement helps hold DNA together”Submitted Nature publishes 17 parameter fits to 20 plus data points as a story · 39 points
HN discussionNo offense, but wasn't your advisor on the FMO complex coherence train for the longest time before they found another chromophore[1] that rendered many coherence projections spurious? [1] http://condensedconcepts.blogspot.com/2012/07/details-do-mat...
Comment linking /2012/07/details-do-matter-in-photosynthesis.html?m=1
on “Quantum Vibrations Inside Brain Corroborate 20-Year-Old Theory of Consciousness”Submitted Marks of an Excellent PhD Thesis as a story · 3 points
HN discussionDepends on what you mean by reliable examples, but it's been researched for well over 25 years. And point where something goes from probably to clear cut gets fuzzy. (2009) "Quantum biology? Tunneling in enzymes" Over the past two decades the possibility of quantum tunneling of protons in enzymes has attracted considerable attention. (See for example a piece in Nature by Philip Ball (my favourite science writer) or…
Comment linking /2009/07/quantum-biology-tunneling-in-enzymes.html
on “Room temperature quantum transfer in biological systems”Submitted Condensed concepts: Questions to consider when evaluating AI as a story · 2 points
HN discussionhttps://condensedconcepts.blogspot.com/2012/05/characteristi...
Comment linking /2012/05/characteristics-of-optimal-doping-in.html?m=1
on “Superconducting monolayer cuprate with a single CuO2 plane”Submitted Statistical mechanics in just one equation as a story · 2 points
HN discussionI guess some theoretical chemistry basics omitted in the short article wouldn't hurt: In order to describe chemical reactions or atomic arrangements in terms of wave equations one normally treats the motion of the nuclei (slow/heavy) and the motion of the electrons (fast/light) separately simplifying the Schrödinger equation to the Born-Oppenheimer approximation. In introductory chemistry textbooks [0] a diatomic ex…
Comment linking /2015/08/conical-intersections-vs-dirac-cones.html?m=1
on “Scientists use quantum device to slow chemical process by factor of 100B”Submitted Condensed concepts: What's the big deal about twisted bilayer graphene? as a story · 1 points
HN discussionSubmitted Condensed concepts: What was the greatest discovery of the past decade? as a story · 1 points
HN discussion
