The year is 1985. Windows 1.0 has just been released in North America, and the first Back to the Future film is playing in cinemas. Chemists worldwide who need to draw chemical structures have no choice but to use a combination of freehand drawing, stencils, and dry-transfer letter decals. However, a former high school science teacher, a Harvard PhD student and a chemistry professor are about to revolutionise how chemists depict molecules.
April 23 is Saint George’s Day, celebrated in particular by a number of countries and cities where Saint George is the patron saint. One of these is England, but another is Catalonia. Like last year, I’ve worked with the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia and illustrator Miriam Rivera to produce a graphic looking at aspects of their celebrations.
April 23 is Saint George’s Day, celebrated in particular by a number of countries and cities where Saint George is the patron saint. One of these is, of course, England, though here the celebrations tend to be quite muted and minimal, and certainly nothing in comparison to the merriment that heralds St Patrick’s Day. In Catalonia, however, it prompts a good deal more in the way of celebration, and I made this graphic for the Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia to illustrate some of its facets.
Across the globe this weekend hundreds of thousands of people in over 500 cities will be marching for science. Though many of those marching may be scientists, it’s not just for those in the scientific community; it’s for anyone who wants to show their support for the funding and continued advancement of science, and the importance of political policies being based on scientific evidence. It’s also about appreciating the role that science plays in our lives – and as this graphic shows, chemistry alone touches your life in more ways than you might have realised!
Tomorrow (18th May) marks the date of birth of Thomas Midgley, who made significant contributions to something many of us make use of on a regular basis: petrol. Midgley was the research assistant to Charles Kettering, and the duo were responsible for the addition of the compound tetraethyl lead to petrol. This innovation would have a lasting legacy – although perhaps not in the manner that they may have originally envisioned.
We take for granted the water that comes out of the taps in our home when we turn them on – but a lot of work goes into getting it there. Chemistry, too, has a hand in making sure that the water is safe to drink. Here, we take a look at the water treatment process, and in particular the chemicals used to get clean drinking water to your tap.
