So, what does it mean to have an International Year of Chemistry? What should it properly celebrate or advance?
I think we chemists have a bit of a professional inferiority complex. The physicists have control over astronomy and space science with its endless pageant of high profile activities and imagery. Glamor-boy physicists have numerous programs on cable channels. Any synthetic utterance of Steven Hawking turns into a documentary. Medical science people are glorified to embarrassing levels for the most slender blips of therapeutic progress. Begoggled chemists do flash-bang demonstrations for whomever will watch.
Who will love us for the gift of cheap and abundant synthetic goods? Who will love and adore us for our facility with bond making and breaking? How many times has the product of your long endeavor been little more than a clear, colorless oil or a white crystalline solid? Besides you, who could boggle at this? Who will stop and take in a lingering look and shake their head in admiration and wonderment?
I think chemists should clam up about what it is that makes our field so endlesslly fascinating. We should resist the urge to share the wonder with the world. We should be stingy with the insights and the beauty. Call it “The Craft” and make it a mystery. Create scarcity and let the world pay a premium for us to divulge our hard won wisdom. If we want to create a buzz, then why not try to be quiet about it? The world adores a mystery.
Lamentations on Chemistry 
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January 24, 2011 at 6:12 pm
joaquinbarroso
Very interesting perspective. You say we should be acknowledged by lay people for all the ways in which chemistry makes our lives what they are today (from the fibers in our clothings to our car batteries and the organic rod-shaped molecules used in LCD screens) and I agree completely! But on the other hand is this same usefulness of chemistry which has placed us in a rather uncomfortable place. I mean, I can’t remember how many times friends and relatives asked me (when asked about my phd research) “and what is it for?” AAARGH! Nobody asks that question to a physicist studying neutrinos, right? I guess the public opinion about chemistry -and physics- got stuck in the 50s or 60s when chemistry was just plain useful and therefore some sort of industry could be built around it (bottom line, sell, sell, sell), while physics were reaching for the moon (actually those were engineers) and splitting the atom.
Physicist have hoarded the limelight during the 20th century mostly because of the cold war and rock star figures such as Einstein, Feynmann or Hawking himself.
The inferiority complex in chemists might be true but I guess the real issue is we haven’t sold our science to the public the way physicists have; and that right there must be the purpose of IYC 2011.
Maybe we should try to come up with a smart show about chemistry! Have you seen the show ‘Breaking Bad’? the lead always stays afloat by using his chemistry knowledge, however a drug cook/dealer is hardly the image we want to represent us.
Just my 2 cents
January 25, 2011 at 1:57 pm
aneutrinophysicist
Chemistry is awesome! Yay for chemistry! May your ‘International Year of Chemistry’ and those that follow be filled with appreciation and funding!
Please don’t interpret my following comments as containing negativity towards your field, or even the foundation of your post. That is not what I intend.
The general public does not appreciate, or even see the reasons for much of the science that we do today. This is true for the majority of disciplines. The last thing we ought to do is fight amongst ourselves! It is also counter-productive to make disparaging remarks about the few scientists that have managed to engage the public. It is important for all fields and sub-fields of science to promote the continued development of research, education and knowledge.
The problem of ‘selling’ science does need to be addressed. Without public support many scientific advances would not have been, or will never be, made. In our current political and economic climate, finding funding for ‘pure’ science (i.e. research with limited obvious applications) is becoming more and more difficult. Our society is results-oriented; it is our challenge to encourage them to place higher value on knowledge. Also, I always point out that many advances are made ‘by accident’ during the pursuit of other goals. Of course, it’s important to emphasize that those ‘accidents’ would not have happened if the scientists who made them weren’t already doing research of some sort.
And I must correct @joaquinbarroso; the only people who haven’t asked me ‘what use is your research?’ are those who froze up like a deer in headlights upon hearing the word ‘physics’.
Wishing all of you chemists and non-chemists the best, and hoping that _all_ scientists can work together to improve our public image and impact.
January 26, 2011 at 10:58 am
gaussling
Do any wok with DUSEL?
Thanks for your comment and well wishes. I’m not always this misanthropic. Some days I’m more so. \;-)
January 25, 2011 at 3:59 pm
gale
Meanwhile, I’m just celebrating by comparing cross linked vs linear polyethylene resins to see which one is more appropriate for 10% sodium hypochlorite storage. 2500 gallons of the stuff. It seems the former is structurally stronger but the latter is more resistant to strong oxidant degradation.
Not nearly as sexy as studying neutrinos or dark matter…
January 25, 2011 at 4:22 pm
gaussling
Oh, to hell with dark matter! I’m in favor of bright matter. I’m not going to worry about the bloody dark matter. If it is undetectable, then it’s probably not going to hit me on the head.
January 29, 2011 at 9:49 am
Joanne
oh, no! Just as soon as I mention I will write a post about the IYC2011 and want to link, I see your anti IYC2011 post! lol. I will still link. Good to have the perspective…plus you still have an awesome list of blog posts for people to explore. 🙂
January 29, 2011 at 12:19 pm
gaussling
Thanks Joanne. Given that the name of the blog is Lamentations on Chemistry, I feel that I need to lament now and then.