Benzene and Bee Hives

People have wracked their brains for an explanation of benzene and how the celebrated man [Kekulé] managed to come up with the concept of the benzene theory. With regard to the last point especially, a friend of mine who is a farmer and has a lively interest in chemistry has asked me a question which I would like to share with you. My 'agricultural friend' apparently believes he has traced the origins of the benzene theory. 'Has Kekulé,' so ran the question, 'once been a bee-keeper? You certainly know that bees too build hexagons; they know well that they can store the greatest amount of honey that way with the least amount of wax. I always liked it,' my agricultural friend went on, 'When I received a new issue of the Berichte; admittedly, I don't read the articles, but I like the pictures very much. The patterns of benzene, naphthalene and especially anthracene are indeed wonderful. When I look at the pictures I always have to think of the honeycombs of my bee hives.'

Notes:

The hexagon shape of bee hives inspires the idea of hexagon shapes for benzene rings.

Folksonomies: chemistry atoms molecules

Taxonomies:
/business and industrial/agriculture and forestry/crops and seed (0.489819)
/travel/tourist destinations/mexico and central america (0.442472)
/food and drink/beverages/non alcoholic beverages/soft drinks (0.308233)

Keywords:
bee hives (0.940208 (negative:-0.427583)), benzene theory (0.822677 (negative:-0.375187)), benzene rings (0.662394 (negative:-0.452282)), Hives The hexagon (0.531770 (negative:-0.452282)), hexagon shapes (0.441234 (negative:-0.452282)), celebrated man (0.367268 (negative:-0.415880)), agricultural friend (0.347925 (neutral:0.000000)), new issue (0.325983 (neutral:0.000000)), especially anthracene (0.307695 (positive:0.404295)), question (0.217502 (positive:0.402286))

Entities:
Kekulé:Person (0.793405 (neutral:0.000000))

Concepts:
Honeycomb (0.978770): dbpedia | freebase
Honey (0.975757): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc
Beekeeping (0.929711): dbpedia | freebase
Hexagon (0.828828): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc
Bee (0.642341): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc
Benzene (0.590334): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc
Beekeeper (0.575322): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc
Insect (0.574146): dbpedia | freebase | opencyc

 Hofmann's Benzene Tree at the Kekulé Festivities
Periodicals>Journal Article:  Hofmann, August Wilhelm von (Mar 1890), Hofmann's Benzene Tree at the Kekulé Festivities, Journal of Chemical Education, (1991), 68, 888., Retrieved on 2012-06-05
Folksonomies: chemistry