Beads with long aspect ratio

Append Huang showed me a curious C₆₀ made of beads with large aspect ratio. The role of beads as chemical bonds is clearly shown by this model. However, there is a drawback for this type of beads, i.e. it cannot produce good steric repulsion between different beads. The structure of this ball is quite flexible. We can easily change its shape by pressing it slightly.

It seems to me the relation between bonds and steric energy in the beaded representation is just like "Fish and Bear's paw", one cannot get both at the same time.

Mencius said, "Fish is something I desire (yu); bear's paw [a Chinese delicacy] is also something I desire. If I cannot have both, I will forsake fish and select bear's paw."

To me the beads with large aspect ratio are the fish and the spherical beads are the bear's paw. I will choose spherical beads for the sake of the fullerene's geometry.

From Craft2