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Questions for Discussion: Synthesizing an Alkaloid

Why was determining the melting point of a substance so important in the story of the synthesis of physostigmine?
What technique did Julian use to determine the melting point of the substance he had synthesized?
Explain how the ratio of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in a substance can help you identify an organic substance.
Why do you think the position of the methyl groups was an important feature of physostigmine?
Can you see any similarities between what Julian did in his synthesis and, say, the baking of a cake? Does it matter what order the steps come in the process?
Using evidence from this video, would you say that scientists cooperate or compete with each other? What role does publication of scientific findings play in the progress of scientific understanding?