Deus ex Machina
In homage to Nick Westwood.
"I think I shall write an article entitled Deus ex Machina (using Nick’s one liner) which sums up the terrible situation today in which poor scientists think they have discovered something on the basis of poor theory. Examples are pentagraphene and carbyne, and they even get the rubbish published!"
Sir Harry Kroto
Harry Kroto's view on carbyne.
Two papers Harry Kroto describes as "ridiculous" by authors who believe theoretical results are valid - poor refereeing.
'Carbyne's list of amazing properties grows', IEEE Spectrum, 30 July 2014.
'Penta-graphene: A new carbon allotrope', PNAS, 24 February 2015.
Sir Harry Kroto talking about the paper 'Confined linear carbon chains: A route to bulk carbyne':
"A hyperflated paper. It is not uninteresting that single carbon atoms are linked inside a nanotube but this is not carbyne it is a polyyne. The work has as much to do with carbyne as single H atoms encapsulated in C60 cages has to do with a condensed solid of H atoms… just try to make carbyne! But let me know so I can leave the country."
Kroto also questions the paper 'Carbyne forms of carbon: do they exist?':
"This article indicates it is stable… but where is a sample?"