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Iliana Oakes (School of Creative Industries, University of Newcastle, Australia)
When you ask a person ‘what does an atom look like?’ the two most common images that come to mind resemble either a solid sphere or an illustration based on a planetary system. Both of these visual representations of an atom are incredibly, scientifically incorrect. Here, the artist has developed a 3D model of the atom based on a theoretical understanding of quantum mechanics, which is the most current description of atoms to date. In quantum mechanics theory, electrons are particles that have no physically defined shape nor are they confined to a single location in time. What this image depicts is the probability distributions, the most likely locations of the electrons within a molybdenum atom. The aim of this research is to provide a fundamental understanding in the biochemical sciences by developing a method for visualizing atoms accurately through quantum mechanics. This research was conducted through a collaboration formed between the artist, a theoretical chemist Professor Peter Gill at Sydney University and Laureate Professor Roger Smith AM of the Hunter Medical Research Institute in Newcastle, Australia. Creating a cross-disciplinary approach to molecular research.