[Aloha]

Hi guys, What molecule is this cropcircle depicting and what are it's potential use(s)?


Crop Circle At Four Mile Clump, Nr Ogbourne Down, Wiltshire. Reported 29th July.

[Dan]

You must demonstrate that you are putting in some effort and show your attempt before we can help you. This is a Forum Rule.

Each circle represents an atom, I'm sure you can have a go at it.

[Aloha]

Well, I never took chemistry, i took physics, but lets see what i can do just by counting. I can try to list the atoms, but I would have no idea what the molecule might be called.

The big one on the far right has 3 connections so I'm gonna call it lithium. I think its connected on the outside to 1 one HI and one H. So now I think the chain is all Li which make some wonder if its a drug of some sort. The big ring, has the same number of connections on the far left small atom and the big ones so I'm going to guess they are the same, making all three on the far left Be... You know what it'll be easier to draw it:

        Be
        /
  Be-Li          Be                  Hi                   ? = I'm not sure if its connected to one molecule of Be-B making it a Li, but...
 /      \          |                   |                         if its B-B than ? = Be.
Be      Li-Li-Li-Li-Li-Li-Li-Li-Li-Li
 \      /                        |      |
  Be-?(Li or Be)            Be     H
          \      \ \
        Be-B    B-B

This  ? has forced me to realize that perhaps some of the connectors in the cropcircle represent double bonds (what is that covalent?) thus requiring a reevaluation of the whole thing and using size as a determining factor, BUT then I realized "how do I know there only covalent and not trivalent or more? (I didn't even know trivalent existed until I goggled it to see). I just tried to re-assume things from that stand point but it got way harder to determine what might be what. So, lets leave it here as my best guess.

OK! Ready for you now. Is it Dodecalithium-something-or-other?

[Arkcon]

Its extremely unlikely that the elements you chose, beryllium and lithium would form a long chain compound like you suggest.  Consider, if the big circle in question has 3 connections, and is connected to something else, then it really makes 4 connections.  Only one element on Earth makes 4 connections, or bonds, and forms long chains and ring shaped molecules*, and that's carbon. Start here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_chemistry

*Well, carbon makes the most stable, easiest to form, large molecules, that aren't very long monotonous crystalline compounds.  Silicon, for example, also forms 4 bonds and makes long chains, but silicon is more likely to form a rock, than a complex molecule.

[Aloha]

        B
       //
  C=C               B               Li      Well so far what I've got is this, but if I keep assuming the lines in the cropcircle are 
 //   \\             ||              ||   covalent bonds then it leaves me with a chain of Boron, but you said it was likely carbon, so 
C      C=B=B=B=C=B=B=C=B=C   I'm trying to figure out how to look at the chain as carbon, it doesn't make much sense cause
 \\   //                       ||    ||   when I count up bond ability it gives me 5 or 3?  Best guess now, I'm calling it...
  C=C                         B     H                C6(NC)B-B3(CB)-B2(BC2-BLIH)??
       \\     
    C=N   

I'm assuming that the molecule may fit someplace, like proteins do, into the smilyface receptor, but I don't know.

[Dan]

The very small circles you have ignored are hydrogens, there are 28 of those in total.

This is an organic molecule, it only contains C, H and O.

[Aloha]

? Better? 
               H
              /
   H     H-C-H
     \      /            H H
      C---O            |/
     /  \    \      H   C-H H       H    O-H
    /    H   \      |  |     |        |   /
H-O-H      C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C-C
    \   H   /    |        |     |   \     \
     \ /   /      H       H     H   C-H  O
     C---O   H                      |\
    /       \  /                       H H
  H   H-C-C-H
         /|   \
       H H    H
?

[AWK]

Seroius chemical errors at ring oxygen atoms. I suggest two nitrogen instead of two oxygen atoms.

[Aloha]

THIS JUST IN:
"... it has been suggested that it bears a striking resemblance to the molecule structure for Vitamin A...

*Vitamin A (or Vitamin A Retinol, retinal, and four carotenoids including beta carotene) is a vitamin that is needed by the retina of the eye in the form of a specific metabolite, the light-absorbing molecule retinal, that is necessary for both low-light (scotopic vision) and color vision.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitamin_A  "
WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK? because I don't know

[Arkcon]

Yeah, retinal does look pretty close.  I Googled for the image, but I didn't find anyone who'd made the connection.  But they do compare well, ball and stick model vs stylized cornfield depiction.  Helps you understand why some circles were smaller than others.

[Aloha]

Just found this too..
"Retinoic acid a regeneration-inducing molecule.
Retinoic acid (RA) is a low molecular weight biologically active metabolite of Vitamin A.
A beautiful surprise set amongst the poppy flowers."
Collage by DGCA
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retinol
img: http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/548907_437607692948422_895059001_n.jpg

[Dan]

Yup, a.k.a. Tretinoin