Fishing for Molecules

Abstract

The largest mountain on Earth is the dormant volcano of ­Maunakea, in Hawaii, which reaches up 4,200 m above sea level. Although it is not the world’s highest point – that honor still goes to Mount Everest in the Himalayas – from its base on the Pacific Ocean to its tip, Maunakea measures roughly 10,200 m. In tourist brochures, the island state of Hawaii is usually portrayed as a land of beaches and palm trees, with surfers skimming giant waves and dancers swaying in the tropical breeze. (It is the home of the aloha shirt and the grass skirt, for example). Whales, dolphins and sharks patrol the waters off the islands. It is the place to go to get some winter sunshine when the snows and rains have set in or to bake during the summer months.