Today's analogy

Nanobiology is hard, hard work. Sometimes an analogy can clear away the fog of misunderstanding that occludes our vision.

Today we learned that in solution large molecules are like elephants, and small ones are like squirrels. While elephants are smart enough to avoid the odd tsunami, they are also massive. So massive that they are not going to be accelerated quickly by a little water pressure. Smaller, squirrel-like molecules will move around the elephant, and maybe end up only irritating it. So even if one were to use a fire hose, the elephant would probably just think that he's getting a nice shower. Only after some time would it get the idea that it'd be best to move along.

The moral: Pump your fluids slowly, lest you enrage a bull elephant!