Seeman surveys scientists' esteem for structural determination of strychine: Robinson or Woodward?
Citation: Seeman, J. I.; House, M. C. "For Its Size, the Most Complex Natural Product Known." Who Deserves Credit for Determining the Structure of Strychnine? ACS Cent. Sci. 2022 , 8 , 672-681. Before reading the rest of this post, read the following question: Professor A published the correct structure for a natural product. Six months later, Professor A characterized his correct structure as “inadequate” and “questionable” and stated “feasible alternatives of a more complicated character have been devised.” He then published an alternative (and wrong) structure which he characterized as “the best working hypothesis at present available.” Shortly thereafter, Professor A changed his mind again, writing “we revert, as the best hypothesis to guide future work, to an earlier [and correct] structure... Several slight modifications of this structure are feasible, and these have special advantages and disadvantages, which must be discus...