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330 points todsacerdoti | 3 comments | | HN request time: 0.195s | source
1. bitwize ◴[] No.46238670[source]
> Same thing applies to other fields like chemical engineering, where people there maintain even stricter discipline. IUPAC nomenclature ensures that 2,2,4-trimethylpentane describes exactly one molecule. No chemist wakes up and decides to call it “Steve” because Steve is a funny name and they think it’ll make their paper more approachable.

Ummmmm...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_chemical_compounds_wit...

"You sure 'bout dat? You sure 'bout dat?"

My favorite: there's a protein called "sonic hedgehog" that's essential to animal embryonic development. (All of the "hedgehog" family proteins would cause fruit flies to take on a spiky appearance when mutated, hence the name.) When chemists synthesized a drug that suppresses SHH protein's action, they named it "robotnikinin".

replies(2): >>46240079 #>>46242994 #
2. dillydogg ◴[] No.46240079[source]
The Drosophila people had the best naming schemes. I really wish we kept up the whimsy of gene names. One I enjoy is RING; "really interesting new gene". I have always said if I find a gene of interest, I'd call it RUNG.
3. zem ◴[] No.46242994[source]
"windowpane" was my first thought :) such a lovely play on the "-ane" suffix