Einstein's relativity rules chemical bonds in heavy elements, new research shows

Relativistic Effects in Chemistry

• Many commenters note that relativity in heavy-element chemistry (gold’s color, mercury’s liquidity, uranium/plutonium behavior) has been known for decades.
• The novelty is framed as direct spectroscopic evidence that textbook bonding models (e.g., for triple bonds in very heavy elements) break down.
• Some criticize the article’s wording that “increased nuclear mass” speeds electrons up, arguing it’s really the increased nuclear charge and Coulomb potential.

Sigma/Pi Bonds and Chemistry Education

• Sigma and pi bonds are said to appear in AP or early college chemistry, but often with heavy handwaving.
• Several people report chemistry courses dominated by rote memorization, trends with unexplained exceptions, and little connection to underlying physics.
• Others say higher-level or physical chemistry, and certain classic textbooks, finally make bonding and periodic trends feel logical.

Empiricism, Abstraction, and “Magic Coefficients”

• Strong theme: chemistry (and especially chemical engineering) leans on empirical models, fitted constants, and “magic coefficients” that hide intractable physics.
• Multiple layers of approximations appear at each abstraction level (physics → chemistry → biology), with many competing models for the same phenomenon.
• A key professional skill is choosing the right model and knowing where its validity breaks down.

Computational Chemistry and Limits

• Detailed discussion of quantum-chemical methods: CCSD(T) for small systems, DFT for larger ones, scaling issues (e.g., O(N³–N⁷)), and sensitivity of bond predictions to small energy errors.
• Commenters emphasize that fully ab initio simulations beyond tiny systems are computationally prohibitive, especially at realistic temperatures and in solution.
• Quantum computers are mentioned as a possible future aid, but current capability and even long-term practicality remain unclear.

Quantum Mechanics and Relativity Clarifications

• Relativistic quantum chemistry is linked to the Dirac equation, spin–orbit coupling, and long-established theory; the experiment is seen as another confirmation.
• Clarifications are offered on how electrons can have high “speeds” despite position uncertainty, and how probability distributions in relativistic orbitals shift energy levels and thus colors.

Other Side Threads

• Debates on whether physics has “exceptions” compared to chemistry/biology.
• Short exchange on non-classical logics, contradictions, and whether different logical axioms could apply at different scales.
• Minor side questions on Bohmian mechanics and on whether charged neutron stars could host orbiting electrons (answer: not in any simple, external-orbit sense).