>> Oh sure. For an idealised infinite grid of atoms. That's a nice 
>> simplification - which stops working when you have a device made of 12 
>> individual atoms.
> 
> Trust me. People worry about QED.  Ever heard of a tunnel diode?

Don't look at me - I don't even know how an ordinary transistor works! 
All I know is that it's due to the obscure properties of semiconductors 
- properties that only exist at macroscopic scales.

>> Interesting. As I understand it, pure silicon is a *non*-conductor. It 
>> only becomes a *semi*-conductor when doped with inpurities...
> 
> Check your periodic table of the elements.

...because all the properties of the elements are determined solely by 
their position in the table?

Remind me, why are the only two liquids at positions 35 and 80?

-- 
http://blog.orphi.me.uk/
http://www.zazzle.com/MathematicalOrchid*

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