The value of research is measured in many ways
Academia is a broad church
Sydney Young and his evaporative fractionator
Developments in distillation find us in good spirits
There are no life lessons to be learned in AI’s Chinese Room
There’s a lot more lab work to do before we understand the ‘language of life’
The champagne cases
When bottles of bubbly conceal criminal activities
Extracting treasure from trash
The corpus of scientific literature needs a drastic clean-up
Why we need public analysts
As the Association of Public Analysts winds up, Duncan Campbell reflects on the continued importance of the profession
Celebrating the coffee break
One of the most surprisingly productive parts of the day
Proteins’ shape and function are two sides of the same coin
A new perspective on the relationship between chemistry and biology
Our columnists
Philip Ball is an award-winning journalist, author and broadcaster who explores the history and philosophy of chemistry
There are no life lessons to be learned in AI’s Chinese Room
There’s a lot more lab work to do before we understand the ‘language of life’
Raychelle Burks is an associate professor in the US and an award-winning science communicator and broadcaster.
The champagne cases
When bottles of bubbly conceal criminal activities
Nessa Carson is a synthetic organic research chemist based in Macclesfield, UK
Working in the chemical industries, plural
Despite often being presented as a monolith, there’s a huge variety of activities, working practices and reaction scales across industrial research
Chemjobber is a US-based industry insider, telling tales of tank reactors and organic obstacles
How long are medicines good for?
Stability data is necessary but tedious work
Derek Lowe is a medicinal chemist in the US, sharing wit and wisdom from a life spent in preclinical drug discovery
Extracting treasure from trash
The corpus of scientific literature needs a drastic clean-up
Alice Motion is an associate professor in Australia interested in citizen science, public outreach and education
Cinematic science
Film screenings that celebrate science, cinema and art
Chris Nawrat (aka BRSM) is a process chemist at a major pharmaceutical company in the US
(–)-Scabrolide B (and friends)
An experimental confirmation with some extra surprises
Vanessa Seifert explores philosophical issues from the novel perspective of chemistry
The moral theories behind climate deadlock
Why is it so controversial to do the right thing for the environment?
Andrea Sella is a professor of inorganic chemistry in the UK with a passion for unravelling the unlikely origins of scientific kit
Sydney Young and his evaporative fractionator
Developments in distillation find us in good spirits
Research landscape
The value of research is measured in many ways
Academia is a broad church
Extracting treasure from trash
The corpus of scientific literature needs a drastic clean-up
Learning to listen
Many things have changed in the last two decades, but effective collaboration is more important than ever
A holistic approach to success
Three activities that helped me to thrive in academia and beyond
How hoarding knowledge is hurting the industry in the long run
Sharing results that are not commercially viable would speed up research
The striking truth
Better pay can benefit the whole research enterprise
Breaking the cycle of teach, test, forget
A focus on exams makes it harder for students to cultivate a deep understanding of their subject
Industry landscape
Learning to listen
Many things have changed in the last two decades, but effective collaboration is more important than ever
The carbon capture conundrum
Progress is being made, but is it enough?
Financial challenges affect the health of UK chemistry
Maintaining a healthy chemistry pipeline requires affordable education and training routes
For chemistry to thrive, it needs to become less cliquey
We need to help more people break through the barriers of tight networks
Letters: December 2024
Readers share concerns over classifying ethanol as reprotoxic, celebrate undergraduate practical innovation, and more
Profiles
Mary Virginia Orna: ‘It felt like I was coming home to something I never knew existed’
The 90-year-old colour chemist on overcoming discrimination and the three loves of her life; Latin, chemistry and Italian opera
Thriving as a Deaf chemistry PhD student
Asma Sheikh talks about growing up, discovering her passion for chemistry and being a teaching assistant
Paul Anastas: ‘I’m proudest of being part of a global green chemistry community’
The father of green chemistry on his love of the environment, striving for unattainable perfection and breathing life into an old town library
Paul Anastas: ‘I’m proudest of being part of a global green chemistry community’
The father of green chemistry on his love of the environment, striving for unattainable perfection and breathing life into an old town library
Yvonne Perrie: ‘Good research culture is about being able to learn and fail without judgment’
The drug delivery expert and multidisciplinary researcher on the importance of learning from failure and how a summer in a margarine factory influenced her career
Carol Robinson: ‘I really wanted to wave the flag about technicians’
The mass spectrometry trailblazer on leaving school at 16 and waving the flag for technicians
The early-career engineer showcasing women in the chemical industry
Jordan Riddle explains how embracing change and extra curricular activities has benefited her work in chemical production
Ijeoma Uchegbu: ‘My approach is always to be kind’
The innovative nanoscientist on the power of kindness and how she scrubbed eugenicists from campus buildings
The chemical industry is falling short on supporting women
By Kasia Jankowska
Unless barriers are broken down, the future of the industry is unsustainable
Can the work of Professor R Obot be beautiful too?
By Dean Thomas
The rise of AI raises questions about how we judge results