Mar 2004: ACCN, the Canadian Chemical News

L’ActualitÊ chimique Chemical News Canadian

canadienne

March mars

2004 Vol. 56, No./no 3

International Experts Examine the

Public Understanding of Chemistry Highlights from National Chemistry Week 2003

L’Actualité chimique canadienne

Canadian Chemical News

March mars

2004 Vol. 56, No./no 3

Table of contents Table des matières

A publication of the CIC Une publication de l’ICC

Page 17

Page 28

Page 19

• Guest Column/Chroniqueur invité Chemical Communication Dick Puddephatt, FCIC

2

• Letters/Lettres

3

• Personals/Personalités

3

• News Briefs/Nouvelles en bref

4

• Chemputing Buzz Off! Marvin D. Silbert, FCIC

6

• Chemfusion Wanted: Enzymes—Dead or Alive?

Joe Schwarcz, MCIC

7

• Chemical Shifts

8

Feature Articles/Articles de fond Are Chemists Too Shy For Their Own Good?

12

Chemists must toot their own horns. Toot them loudly.

And toot them often!

Madeleine Jacobs

Making the Connection

15

Showing the public how advances in the chemical industry improve the quality of life Vince J. Smith

Say What?

• Interfaces Bridging the “Two Cultures” Divide Roger Nash

10

• National Chemistry Week

25

• CIC Bulletin ICC

33

• Division News/Nouvelles des divisions

33

• Local Section News/ Nouvelles des sections locales

34

17

Once we have the public’s attention—how can we help them to understand what chemists mean?

Joseph F. Bunnett

Stunning Stunts

19

The RSC sparks widespread media interest in chemistry through offbeat news stories Brian Emsley

What If All Chemists Quit?

20

A nightmarish tale of science fiction

• Student News/ Nouvelles des étudiants

35

• Events/Événements

37

• Professional Directory/ Répertoire professionnel

38

• Careers/Carrières

39

Armand Lattes

Cover/Couverture Mad scientists or miracle workers? Experts the world over are concerned about improving the public’s perceptions—and promoting a positive image—of chemistry! What can YOU do to spread the message?

Photo by: Ian MacDonald

Guest Column Chroniqueur invité Section head

Chemical Communication Outreach Programs of the CIC

Dick Puddephatt, FCIC

he CIC and its constituent societies strive for effective communication with our members. We need to reach international colleagues, potential members, and people whose decisions can impact our members’ interests—including members of governments and granting agencies. We also need to reach Canadian citizens generally—in our outreach programs we seek to communicate with non-members. We want to tell people why the chemical sciences are important, and why they should be supported. We need to promote a positive image of chemistry, chemical engineering, chemical technology, and for the practitioners of these disciplines. Of course, we hope that some of these folks will join the CIC too.

Conferences and professional development courses play vital roles in outreach. The annual conferences of the CSC and CSChE are our best-known showcases. They attract graduate students, industrial chemists and chemical engineers, and high school teachers who get their first impressions of the CIC through the scientific symposia and social events. International outreach is built into these conferences through invited speakers and from the presence of representatives of overseas societies. Joint conferences with international societies provide a particularly good showcase for Canadian science and engineering. The joint CSC-IUPAC conference in Ottawa in 2003, the regular Pacifichem conferences in Hawaii, and the forthcoming organization by the CSChE of the World Congress of Chemical Engineering in 2009 are prime examples of these meetings. The CSCIUPAC conference attracted delegates from more than 50 countries. The CSCT has chosen to focus on providing an outreach service through professional development courses, sometimes in conjunction with the constituent society conferences. A particularly successful course on laboratory safety was held during the CSChE conference in Hamilton, ON, in 2003. The CSChE promotes process safety management seminars to

T

2 L’Actualité chimique canadienne

assist companies in implementing new regulations.

ACCN is an accessible mode of communication, and there are also national and international publications that have a strong outreach component. The Laboratory Health and Safety Guidelines handbook, published by the CIC, is an invaluable resource for laboratory personnel. Every laboratory bookshelf should have a copy. The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, published by CSChE, advertizes the merits of chemical engineering in Canada to a truly international readership.

The CIC outreach to youngsters is a yearround commitment built around the National Chemistry Week program. The Chemical Education Trust Fund has been important for sponsoring student conferences, science fairs, and competitions, and the trustees are always looking for new and imaginative proposals.

The chemical education division often sponsors symposia at which high school teachers are encouraged to participate.

Outreach to governments is carried out through lobbying and is a cooperative venture with several professional groups. The CIC is a very active participant in both the Partnership Group for Science and Engineering (PAGSE) and the Canadian Consortium for Research (CCR) in the advancement of research issues to the federal government. Our message—that chemistry and chemical engineering play key roles in all of the developing technologies that underpin a knowledge-based economy—is becoming more widely accepted. The CIC outreach to Canadian citizens will be accentuated by having the CIC take a public position on scientific policies and issues that have a major impact on our members, and on which our scientific expertise will command respect.

All of these outreach programs are effective in promoting the image of our disciplines and the interests of our members. But you can act individually too, or through your local section, whenever you have an opportunity to meet your MP or MPP, to visit a high school chemistry class, or to recruit a new member for the CIC. Outreach is truly a cooperative and symbiotic activity.

Dick Puddephatt, FCIC, is Chair of the CIC for 2003–2004 and, in his spare time, is senior editor of the Canadian Journal of Chemistry, and Canada Research Chair in Chemistry at the University of Western Ontario.

mars 2004

Editor-in-Chief/Rédactrice en chef Michelle Piquette Managing Editor/Directrice de la rédaction Heather Dana Munroe Publications Assistant/Adjoint aux publications Jim Bagrowicz Graphic Designer/Infographiste Krista Leroux Editorial Board/Conseil de la rédaction Terrance Rummery, FCIC, Chair/Président Catherine A. Cardy, MCIC Cathleen Crudden, MCIC Milena Sejnoha, MCIC Editorial Office/Bureau de la rédaction 130, rue Slater Street, Suite/bureau 550 Ottawa, ON K1P 6E2 613-232-6252 • Fax/Téléc. 613-232-5862 editorial@accn.ca • www.accn.ca Advertising/Publicité advertising@accn.ca Subscription Rates/Tarifs d’abonnement Non CIC members/Non-membres de l’ICC : in/au Canada CAN$50; outside/à l’extérieur du Canada CAN$75 or/ou US$60. Single copy/Un exemplaire CAN$8.

Canadian Chemical New/L’Actualité chimique Canadienne (ACCN) is published 10 times a year by The Chemical Institute of Canada / est publié 10 fois par année par l’Institut de chimie du Canada. www.cheminst.ca Recommended by The Chemical Institute of Canada, The Canadian Society for Chemistry, the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering, and the Canadian Society for Chemical Technology. Views expressed do not necessarily represent the official position of the Institute, or of the societies that recommend the magazine. Translation of any article into the other official language available upon request. / Recommandé par l’Institut de chimie du Canada, la Société canadienne de chimie, la Société canadienne de génie chimique et la Société canadienne de technologie chimique. Les opinions exprimées ne reflètent pas nécessairement la position officielle de l’Institut ou des sociétés constituantes qui soutiennent la revue. La traduction de tous les articles dans l’autre langue officielle est disponible sur demande.

Change of Address/Changement d’adresse circulation@cheminst.ca Printed in Canada by Gilmore Printing Services Inc. and postage paid in Ottawa, ON./ Imprimé au Canada par Gilmore Printing Services Inc. et port payé à Ottawa, ON. Publications Mail Agreement Number/ No de convention de la Poste-publications : 40021620. (USPS# 0007-718) Indexed in the Canadian Business Index and available on-line in the Canadian Business and Current Affairs database. / Répertorié dans la Canadian Business Index et à votre disposition sur ligne dans la banque de données Canadian Business and Current Affairs.

ISSN 0823-5228

Personals Personnalités Section head

Letters / Lettres Zero-Sum Game Many chemical professionals are undoubtedly in agreement with you that there is promise in the initial statements of Paul Martin and, especially, in the appointment of Arthur Carty, FCIC, my former Waterloo colleague. An issue the NSERC Discovery Grant (DG) committees will face in extremis this year is the large number of first-time applicants. A strong case must be made via the Council that additional funds are needed to support the brightest of the young without damaging the research programs of the more experienced and highly productive scientists. There must be an injection of funds that allows the committees to be in a position to make decisions based on the peer review system that, based

A Second Look at the List I enjoyed reading the article, “Environment Canada’s New Environmental Emergency Regulations” by John Shrives, MCIC, (ACCN Vol.56, No. 2, p. 17) and have some questions for the author: What do the concentrations in the list (pp 18-19) refer to?

Why does the list include

Obituaries Dennis W. Bruce, MCIC Laurence H. Cragg, FCIC Gerhard Lindner, MCIC Stephen White, MCIC

on experience of research support internationally, works extremely well.

We must not place the committee members into a position of the zero-sum game that takes from one group to give to the other, an occurrence that happens after (by personal witness) the long and arduous process whereby grappling with the excellence of the proposals has been completed. The across-the-board cut to match the budget completely nullifies the work of the committee and the applicant.

Additional funding for start-up researchers is needed to maintain and hopefully improve the health of Canadian science.

Government

Eliot A. Phillipson

Eliot A. Phillipson has been appointed the fourth president and CEO of the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI). He succeeds the CFI’s current president, David Strangway.

Phillipson currently serves as the Chair of the department of

medicine at the University of Toronto. He will begin his new position at the CFI on July 1, 2004. He will be responsible for managing a $3.65 billion budget and will work to strengthen the capacity of Canadian universities, colleges, research hospitals, and other non-profit research organizations to carry out world-class research and technology development.

“Phillipson is an outstanding researcher and leader who is committed to shaping the future of science in Canada,” said Alan Bernstein, president of the Canadian Institutes of Health and Research and a CFI Board director. “His appointment ensures that the CFI will continue to support research in areas of strategic importance to Canada.”

Victor Snieckus, FCIC

University

Thompson plans to continue to pursue his interests in travel, target shooting, and military history.

fuming sulfuric acid but not sulfuric acid? I do not think that hydrogen cyanide is a wide-spread chemical. On the other hand, potassium cyanide is, but is not listed.

Does the list exist somewhere on the EC website? I could not find it.

Distinction

Vladimir Zitko, FCIC John Polanyi, FCIC,

James Thompson, FCIC, retired from the department of chemistry at the University of Toronto after 36 years of dedicated service. He served as Associate Chair from 1974 to 1977 and again from 1982 to 1993. In 1995, his appointment was shifted to the university’s Scarborough campus. He served as Chair of the division of physical sciences from 1962 to 2002. During his retirement,

Nobel laureate in chemistry, John Polanyi, FCIC, was awarded the first International Acharya Sushil Kumar Peace Award from the South Asian Studies program at New College at the University of Toronto. The award was established in memory of the Jain teacher Acharya Sushil Kumaji (1926 to 1994), known for his dedication to promoting peace and harmony by mediating religious and secular conflicts in India. The award was presented at the Isabel Bader Theatre. After the award ceremony, Polanyi gave a lecture entitled, “The World at the Crossroads: Law or War?”

March 2004

Canadian Chemical News 3

News Briefs Nouvelles en bref Section head

The CIC meets with Liberal Government On February 5, 2004 Steering Committee members of the Canadian Consortium for Research (CCR) were pleased to hear that the federal Liberal government

estimated that up to 100,000 additional research scientists and engineers will be required.

Pictured from left to right are Francine Ford, executive director of the Canadian Association of Physicists (CAP); Roland Andersson, MCIC; executive director of the CIC; Joe Fontana, MP, parliamentary secretary to the prime minister, Bruce Sells, executive

remains committed to Canada’s stated goal of becoming the world's fifth most research-intensive nation by 2010. It is

director of the Canadian Federation of Biological Societies (CFBS); and Don McDiarmid, CAP.

First North American PTA plant in Montréal Quebec Premier Jean Charest inaugurated Interquisa as Canada’s first North American petrochemical plant, built in the industrial zone of Montréal’s East End. The Interquisa Canada plant produces purified terephthalic acid (PTA). The facility is capable of producing 500 kilotonnes per year of PTA. The chemical is used as a raw material in the production of PET soft drink containers, polyester film for audio and video tapes, and synthetic resins used in various types of paints and textiles.

Output will be marketed in North America.

Jointly owned by Interquisa, a subsidiary of the Spanish group, Compaña Española de Petróleos SA (CEPSA), and

Societé générale de financement du Québec (SGF), Interquisa Canada represents an investment of over $800 million and ranks among the three largest industrial projects in Quebec in the past few years. Investissement Québec also contributed $50 million under the FAIRE program.

The new Interquisa plant allowed the reopening of the Coastal facility, which produces paraxylene, the raw material for PTA. “We are especially proud to note that the Interquisa Canada plant is the driving force of the industrial recovery of the petrochemical sector in Quebec,” says Carlos Perez de Bricio, Chair of the board of directors and president and CEO of CEPSA. Although Interquisa has been producing PTA for over 25 years, its facilities are located in Spain.

The Montréal plant is the first production facility for CEPSA outside of Europe Camford Chemical Report

DuPont Signs Emission Reduction MOU The Government of Canada has signed its third climate change agreement with industry. DuPont Canada has committed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent between 2008 and 2012.

The climate change Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with DuPont sets out key elements of a climate change agreement between Ottawa and DuPont Canada and highlights their mutual efforts to develop a functioning emissions trading system. This will allow for the buying and selling of greenhouse

gas emission permits. “DuPont’s past achievements in reducing emissions, combined with its commitment for continuous improvement, put the company in a strong position to play a significant role in the proposed emissions trading system in Canada,” says Minister Dhaliwal.

The support and partnership of large final emitters such as DuPont Canada is essential to the successful implementation of the Climate Change Plan. The principles in the MOU are consistent with government commitments to industry made

in the Climate Change Plan for Canada, released in November 2002. The MOU sets out a 15 percent emissions intensity target for the production of nylon intermediates during the first Kyoto commitment period (2008 to 2012). This target reflects recognition for early action taken

by DuPont since 1997 and is consistent with government commitments to not disadvantage firms that have taken steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The MOU signed with the government will also give the company clarity on the treatment

of these reductions as they proceed with corporate restructuring this year.

DuPont has reduced the emissions intensity of its production of nylon as a result of investment in new technology and equipment to abate nitrous oxide emissions—a type of greenhouse gas identified in the Kyoto Protocol.

Camford Chemical Report

Canadian Tire Illegally Imports Ozone-Depleting Substance Canadian Tire was sentenced in the Ontario Court of Justice in Brampton, ON, on three counts of violating the Ozone-Depleting Substances Regulation under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999. The charges were

laid by Environment Canada after an investigation by the Environmental Branch of the Ontario Regional Office.

Canadian Tire imported bar refrigerators containing dichlorodifluoromethane, which is in

4 L’Actualité chimique canadienne

mars 2004

violation of the Montréal Protocol.

Contravention of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 can result in a maximum fine of $300,000 for a first offence.

The company was fined $25,000. The funds will go to the

Canadian Dermatological Association for public education and awareness of skin cancer and related health concerns linked to the thinning of the ozone layer.

Camford Chemical Report

News Briefs Nouvelles en bref Section head

Alcan will permanently halt production at its 60-year-old Jonquière Soderberg primary aluminum facility in Saguenay, QC, in the second quarter of 2004.

“Despite our efforts over the years to bring the Jonquière Soderberg lines up to today’s environmental and technological standards, the reality is that this technology has a limited life span,” says Travis Engen, president and CEO of Alcan.

Compared with other Alcan smelters in Quebec, the Jonquière Soderberg plant has the highest production costs and faces the greatest environmental challenges. It is also one of the least energy efficient.

The increase in the value of the Canadian dollar compared with the U.S. currency over the last year contributed to this decision. The currency increase has been greater than the recent rise in the aluminum market price. The company plans to close the four Soderberg potlines between now and April 2004. The shutdown will eliminate 90 kt/yr of capacity, which represents three percent of Alcan’s global production. The remaining 163 kt of pre-bake smelting technology capacity in Jonquière will not be affected.

Camford Chemical Report

The Battle to Ship Chlorine The Chlorine Chemistry Council (CCC) delivered testimony today at a Council of the District of Columbia public hearing on the “Terrorism Prevention and Safety in Hazardous Materials Transportation Act of 2003 (Bill 15-525).” The Act would prohibit large shipments of hazardous materials, including chlorine, by rail or truck through the district.

Speaking before the Council’s Committee on Public Works and the Environment, CCC director C.T. Howlett, Jr. testified that while the bill’s intent may be admirable, its approach would actually increase risk and undermine homeland security efforts already developed by a cooperative of relevant metropolitan area and federal agencies. “A tremendous amount of coordination and cooperation has already been displayed on the federal, state, city, and private sector levels over the last two years on prevention, mitigation, and effective emergency response to terrorism,” says Howlett.

Ironically, the proposed bill would increase risk by impeding the delivery of materials essential to fighting terrorism and protecting public health from biological weapons. Chlorine and its derivatives are responsible for the production

of water disinfectants, anthrax and other biological weapon.

85 percent of all pharmaceuticals (including the antibiotic Cipro, used to treat anthrax), flak jackets, military and police helmets, bullet resistant glass, alloys unused in aircraft and missiles, and more.

Camford Chemical Report

Flames Destroy Hydro Agri Plant A fire early this year destroyed the Hydro Agri Canada plant near Montréal. Despite the loss of production, the company says it will continue to supply its customers. The fire caused close to $3 million in damage.

A company spokesperson said it is too early to determine when the plant will be operational again.

The facility made nearly one-third of Hydro Agri’s home and garden and golf course products. The company says it is making arrangements with other manufacturers at three locations to make its products.

“Customers will be well looked after,” says Hydro Agri Canada president Gilles Payette.

Camford Chemical Report

Curbing TCE Health Canada and the FederalProvincial-Territorial Committee on Drinking Water are in the process of revising the Canadian guideline for trichloroethylene (TCE) in drinking water. It is proposed that the guideline should be lowered from 0.05 mg/L to 0.005 mg/L. The consultation document for this proposed guideline has been posted on Health Canada’s Web site. Recent studies suggest a possible link between long-term exposure to high levels of TCE and cancer. In addition, preliminary studies indicate a possible link between exposure to high levels of TCE and potential reproductive effects associated with fetal heart development. However, even at high concentrations of TCE, current studies show only a very low rate of reproductive health effects. Further studies are required to confirm these reproductive effects, as well as their long term significance to human health.

TCE is not a concern for the majority of Canadians. The chemical can be introduced into groundwater as a result of industrial discharges or spills, or leaking from old dump sites. It is, however, a volatile solvent used extensively in the automotive and metal industries for degreasing and cleaning of metal parts. The Solvent Degreasing Regulations under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, which came into force in July 2003, are designed to significantly reduce the use of TCE in Canada.

Camford Chemical Report

Photo by Lisa Hoang

Alcan Closes Aluminum Plant

March 2004

Canadian Chemical News 5

Chemputing Section head

Buzz Off! Switching your ISP might force you to set the credit bureaus straight

can't believe how many people tell me the same horror story. They sign up with an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to get online and several months later that service starts to deteriorate. They move to a new ISP, and before long, the old ISP starts demanding payment for time after the service was terminated with threats of going to a collection agent. How far can this go? Just read my horror story and realize that it's all true and fully documented.

Several years ago my ISP went under and I joined Interlog.com. Interlog.com was a Toronto-based ISP that served some 10,000 people with fantastic service. They grew and were bought out several times over. As the system grew, the service went downhill.

Needless to say, I left. After six months, Interlog’s latest reincarnation started demanding money. Little did I know that I was about to pass through the Twilight Zone into that region where the “Dark Side” prevailed and everything I knew about right and wrong would be reversed.

It started with a letter from Rapide Investigation, a Montréal-based collection agency.

I told them to “Buzz Off!” (or something stronger) until they could send me written confirmation that I owed money, and I asked for the name of the senior manager to whom I should address further correspondence.

Collection agencies don’t work that way.

They don't put things in writing, and the only truth to them is that you owe money.

Unfortunately, they have a very powerful weapon. When I refused to pay the money that I didn’t owe, they reported me to the credit bureaus.

Credit reporting in Canada is controlled by two companies—TransUnion and Equifax.

Neither company defines the truth the same way we do. I got copies of my credit record from both and immediately complained about that entry from Rapide Investigation.

Both companies responded with a series of anonymous letters claiming that the entry was “accurate and factual.” They didn’t listen to reason, but did allow me to make an entry on my record rebutting that claim.

I sent those rebuttals and was dissatisfied

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with what followed. TransUnion never responded. Equifax changed the wording in a way that I felt weakened its impact. I went after them for an explanation and also asked about the relationship between them and Rapide Investigation as I was concerned about a possible conflict of interest.

I expected they would quickly make things right. They didn’t and the chain began.

I went to the V.P. in Montréal and she seemed to make every effort to avoid answering my questions. I then went to the president in Toronto with those same questions. He did correct the rebuttal wording, but failed to explain why it had been altered or to answer my other questions.

It was now time to wake up TransUnion.

I think my original request must have been lost in the system. A few weeks later they removed that claim from my record. A letter from Rapide Investigation a few days later showed the record cleared. I went back to the president of Equifax asking him why his system hadn't done the same. He failed to respond to my questions and told me, “We believe we have fulfilled our obligations in this manner by the Consumer Reporting Act, and we will not be providing further comment of documentation at this time.” A few weeks later, they sent a copy of my record with that offending entry expunged.

It took a ridiculous amount of time and effort to clear my record. Was it worth the effort for a measly $119.35? Sure it was. I do have my principles. If my record was not accurate, what makes you think yours is? As soon as you finish reading this, go after copies of your record and see what financial information is being passed around behind your back. Go to both TransUnion (1-800663-9980 or www.tuc.ca/) and Equifax (1-800-465-7166 or www.equifax.ca). You can get application forms on the Web, but must apply in writing with copies of two pieces of identification. Beware of any request for a fee as the law requires them to mail you a copy at no charge.

What happens if you don’t agree with what you see? You have the right to send a statement of rebuttal that will be inserted in

mars 2004

Marvin D. Silbert, FCIC your file. They will send a form and the rules for filing it. But you won’t know who will receive it, nor their role within the organization. It was difficult to trace who’s who in the credit bureaus. After much effort, Equifax USA told me to contact Rick Cleary, the president of Equifax Canada at 110 Sheppard Ave. E, Toronto, ON M2N 6S1, fax 416-227-5470, e-mail rick.cleary@equifax.com. Each province and territory also has a department that oversees credit reporting, and it might be a good idea to send them copies. I kept them in the loop, but have no way of knowing whether to give the credit for my cleansed record to the Ontario Registrar of Credit Reporting, TransUnion, or my own persistence.

This mess exists because the credit bureaus operate behind a cloak of anonymity. It costs them money every time they send out a record and much more if a president gets bogged down trying to explain things. Consider it your duty to pass copies of this page to everyone you know (or don’t know). If those costs get high enough, the credit bureaus might realize that the “Dark Side” can never win.

You can reach our Chemputing editor, Marvin D. Silbert, FCIC, at Marvin Silbert and Associates, 23 Glenelia Avenue, Toronto, ON M2M 2K6; Tel. 416-225-0226; Fax: 416-225-2227; E-mail: marvin@silbert.org; Web site: www.silbert.org.

Chemfusion

Wanted: Enzymes— Dead or Alive? ust try it once please, just try it,” the lady pleaded with me. “OK,” I finally said, hoping to bring the discussion to an end. She opened the thermos bottle she had been clutching and poured me a glass of a green liquid, assuring me that she had squeezed the wheatgrass barely an hour ago. I could therefore be confident, she said, that the enzymes in it were still alive! Well, dead or alive, they certainly did nothing for the taste of the beverage. This wheatgrass juice was one of the foulest things I’ve ever tasted. Of course, I was quickly assured that I was not drinking it for taste; I was drinking it for health.

This gustatory calamity followed on the heels of an hour or so long discussion on the merits of consuming live enzymes. My guest had sought an appointment to open my eyes to a form of therapy that would help millions of people who were being poisoned by eating “dead food.” And so it was that I came to learn about the Hippocrates Health Institute and the teachings of Ann Wigmore.

Wigmore was a Lithuanian émigré to the U.S. who had become convinced of the healing power of grasses after reading the Biblical story of Nebuchadnezzar, the Babylonian king who went through a seven-year period of insanity from which he apparently cured himself by eating grass. Wigmore reflected on this story, considered how dogs and cats sometimes eat grass when they feel ill, and came up with a theory about the magical properties of wheatgrass juice. Food rots in the intestine due to improper digestion, she maintained, and forms “toxins” that then enter the circulation. The living enzymes in raw wheatgrass prevent these toxins from forming and ward off disease. By 1988 Wigmore, who had no recognized scientific education, was even suggesting that her “energy enzyme soup” was capable of curing AIDS. Ann Wigmore died in 1994 but the “live enzyme” theory lives on. Numerous books tout the benefits of ingesting enzymes,

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health food stores stock bottles of enzyme capsules and powders, and restaurants that guarantee low temperature cooking to stop the murder of enzymes are sprouting up. No need to worry about killing enzymes though. They were never alive in the first place. Enzymes are not composed of cellular units, they cannot reproduce, they cannot carry on metabolism and they cannot grow. Ergo, they are not alive.

“There would be no life without enzymes,” begins the usual sales pitch. An inarguably correct statement. Indeed, enzymes are special protein molecules that are involved as catalysts in virtually every chemical reaction that takes place in the body. “Heat can destroy enzymes,” the pitch continues, “so processed or cooked food is devoid of these life-giving substances.” This is also true. The inference then is that we should be eating “live food” because that’s the only way we can get the “live enzymes” our body needs. In the case of Ann Wigmore, it is more than an inference. Her book states that “Each of us is given a limited supply of enzyme energy at birth. This has to last a lifetime.

The faster you use up the supply, the shorter your life. Cooking food, processing it with chemicals, using medicines, uses up the enzymes. The Hippocrates Diet makes enzyme deposits into the account.”

Absurd! Our body does not need, and except for specific rare instances, cannot use ingested enzymes.

Enzymes are proteins, and like other proteins are broken down during digestion. The fact that studies have shown that some enzymes may escape digestion and enter the bloodstream should not be interpreted as a benefit. Enzymes are remarkably specific in their actions and the enzymes that may make it into the bloodstream from food are not the same as the body’s enzymes. Many promoters of “live food” diets emphasize that the “living enzymes” in fresh fruits and vegetables help digestion and spare the body’s enzyme supply from being wasted on digestion. The spared enzymes are then

Joe Schwarcz, MCIC said to be free to take part in metabolism and disease fighting. Nonsense. Metabolic enzymes have nothing to do with digestive enzymes. Even if enzymes in raw fruits and vegetables survived passage through the highly acidic environment of the stomach, and even if they managed to enhance digestion in the small intestine, they would have no affect on the enzymes involved in the cellular processes that go on all over the body.

This is not to say that oral enzyme therapy is always without merit. People who are lactose intolerant can benefit from ingestion of the enzyme lactase that is lacking in their digestive tract. But the lactase pills have to be specially formulated to enhance passage through the stomach.

Cystic fibrosis patients have to compensate for a lack of pancreatic enzymes by swallowing pills, which again are enterically coated to ensure they reach the small intestine. There is even research underway to investigate whether certain oral enzymes may be of use in cancer treatment, unfortunately so far, not with encouraging results.

Now that I’ve gotten all that off my chest, I’ll go on record as recommending a “live food” diet. The fruits and vegetables that make up such a diet contain all sorts of substances that enhance health. But enzymes are not among them. As I related all of this to my office guest, I had a glimmer of hope when she seemed to accept my explanation that oral enzymes in food are unlikely to survive digestion. The seeming victory, though, was short lived. “Maybe that’s why Ann Wigmore was so high on wheatgrass juice enemas,” she retorted.

Mercifully, she didn’t ask me to try one.

Popular science writer, Joe Schwarcz, MCIC, is the director of McGill University’s Office for Science and Society. He hosts the “Dr. Joe Show” every Sunday 3 to 4 p.m. on Montréal’s radio station CJAD. The broadcast is available on the Web at www.CJAD.com. You can contact him at joe.schwarcz@mcgill.ca.

March 2004

Canadian Chemical News 7

Chemical Shifts Section head

Chemical Shifts What’s new in chemistry research?

Chemical Shifts offers a concentrated look at Canada’s latest developments.

Chemical stop signs: Controlling proton flow with carbonyls

Figure 1. Dioxolane-modified proteins

t appears as though pH control in the body may be as easy as flipping a switch. Recent work has shown that structural features of cellular membrane proteins influence the mechanism of proton transport, and that conformational changes in the protein’s structure may act as an “on/off” switch for proton transport.

Régis Pomès and co-worker Ching-Hsing Yu from the Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Toronto, have studied the gramicidin A (gA) protein through molecular dynamics simulations in order to elucidate the chemistry involved in proton transport. gA is a pentadecapeptide that forms a cation-permeable channel in lipid bilayers. The channel is lined with water molecules that help in the transport of protons. Dimers of gA can be obtained by introduction of a dioxolane ring between

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8 L’Actualité chimique canadienne

N-formylated termini of two gA molecules.

The covalently linked dimers form channels whose proton permeability differs significantly depending on the chirality of the dimer (Figure 1). In the so-called SS diastereomer, the dioxolane ring lies perpendicularly to the channel axis. This isomer displays permeability comparable to native gramicidin, while the RR isomer, in which the ring normal lies almost perpendicular to this axis, is significantly less permeable than natural gramicidin. In different conformers of the RR isomer, the carbonyl groups of the dioxolane linker can point into or out of the channel. An excess proton is confined to the channel centre when both carbonyl groups point into the channel due to favourable chargedipole interactions, whereas it resides preferentially in one of the monomers when one of the carbonyls points out.

Thermal activation, however, can cause conformers to interconvert, acting as what Pomès describes a “push switch,” which can effectively control proton passage.

While further investigations will continue to uncover the relationship between structure and function in these protein channels, Pomès’ work demonstrates that substrate translocation through host channels can be controlled by relatively minor structural alterations of the protein.

Scheme 1

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For a full report on this investigation, see the Journal of American Chemical Society 2003, 125, 13890.

Bringing alkynes and amines together with titanium atalytic hydroamination reactions are fast becoming a prevalent means of preparing amines and imines.

Currently, the addition of an N-H bond across a carbon-carbon multiple bond in the presence of a transition metal-based catalyst often yields non-regioselective products, limiting the overall applicability of these reactions. Recently, however, Laurel Schafer and postdoctoral fellow Zhe Zhang at the University of British Columbia have prepared a novel bis-(amidate)titanium precatalyst 1 (Scheme 1) that is highly active and regioselective in the hydroamination of terminal alkynes.

The anti-Markovnikov aldimine products of these reactions are particularly useful intermediates for further functionalization to amine and aldehyde derivatives.

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Chemical Shifts

Scheme 2

Acknowledging the general activity of Group 4 cyclopentadienyl-based catalysts, Schafer’s chelating amidate ligand offers variable steric and electronic substituents in the backbone, ultimately enabling her to tune the environment about the metal centre for optimal catalysis. Consequently, increasing the steric bulk around the metal generated not only a higher product yield, but also resulted in higher regioselectivity for the anti-Markovnikov product 4.

Furthermore, the catalyst has shown activity with a range of alkynes, which is an indication of its wide applicability for hydroamination reactions. The active catalyst was also successfully employed in the one-pot synthesis of isoquinoline 8.

Hydroamination of alkyne 2 with amine 6 yields the aldimine intermediate 7. This aldimine yields the isoquinoline product 8 after acid catalyzed ring closure. The synthesis of these structures is significant since many medicinal compounds contain isoquinoline structures.

See all the details in the original publication: Organic Letters, 2003, 5, 4733.

Triumphs with muonium ave you ever asked yourself, “What can muoniums do for me?”

H

According to chemistry professors Jason Clyburne and Paul Percival, the muonium may be the next best thing for studying chemical reactions with hydrogen atoms.

Clyburne and his co-workers at Simon Fraser University have been studying the reactivity of special carbene systems: specifically, stable imidazol-2-ylidenes such as 9. Indeed, the reaction of this carbene with a neutral radical could potentially yield one of two products, resulting from addition either at the carbenic carbon (10a) or the alkeneic carbon (10b). The hydrogen atom remains an attractive reagent for studying this reaction; its simplicity negates any cumbersome steric and electronic considerations. The problems with using H• as a reagent, however, preclude its viability in studying these carbene reactions, especially considering that the protic reagents necessary for the generation of hydrogen atoms are not compatible with the carbenes.

Instead, Clyburne, Percival, and their co-workers Iain McKenzie, Jean-Claude Brodovitch, and Taramatee Ramnial

Scheme 3

turned to the muonium atom, a light isotope of hydrogen that has one electron and a positive muon as the nucleus, giving it oneninth the mass of H•. Working at Canada’s national cyclotron facility, TRIUMF, located in Vancouver, they have been able to identify radical products of muonium reactions using muon spin rotation and level-crossing resonance. Indeed, the SFU team has now clearly shown that reactions with the imidazole-type carbenes occur solely at the carbenic carbon, a distinction that previously remained unattainable.

For a full report, see the original paper, the Journal of American Chemical Society 2003, 125, 11565.

This month’s Chemical Shifts column is authored by Alyson Kenward, a first-year graduate student at the University of Calgary with Warren Piers. She completed her BSc in chemistry at the University of Calgary in 2003, and was born and raised in British Columbia.

Cathleen Crudden, MCIC, is an associate professor at Queen’s University in Kingston, ON.

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March 2004

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Canadian Chemical News 9

Interfaces Section head

Bridging the “Two Cultures” Divide Explaining science to citizens

Roger Nash

The “two cultures” divide urs is an age of a widening “two cultures” divide between the sciences and society. Scientists find it difficult to explain their more complex achievements to citizens. Citizens are expected, increasingly, to take science on faith. Unless the divide can be bridged, we face the dangers of mutual bafflement and mistrust. The history and philosophy of science itself can serve as a source of guidance. A case in point is the philosopher Thales (circa 625 to 545 B.C.E.), who stood at the very beginnings of science, and tried to block the “two cultures” divide from ever happening.

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Thales of Miletus Thales lived in Miletus, Ionia. None of his writings survived to the time of Aristotle (384 to 322 B.C.E.). We’re left with only fragmentary reports by later writers who relied on strong oral tradition. Thales was counted among the “Seven Sages” in ancient Greece. He was venerated amongst the very wisest; able to build bridges between different intellectual endeavours, or between the emerging sciences and society; and able to give sound practical advice.

Reports of his life present him as, amongst other things, a perceptive statesman, an ingenious military engineer, astronomer, geometer, canny businessman, poet, theologian, and aphoristic moral thinker.

Most importantly for the emergence of science, he was an original thinker on models of explanation for understanding nature.

Thales advanced a program for understanding changes in nature by explaining them as being, or as being like, such changes in liquids as evaporation and condensation: “He supposed that water was the first principle of all things ...”(Barnes, 1987, p. 67) Aristotle speculated that Thales’ program rested on three different observations about the pervasiveness of liquid phenomena: seeds need water to germinate; living things, both animals and plants, need water to survive; 10 L’Actualité chimique canadienne

and even heat—perhaps that produced in composting and rotting—requires moisture (Barnes, p. 63). Thales had noted how underlying physical processes, such as evaporation and condensation, produce many of the different-looking things around us, from mist to clouds, to rain, to rivers, to ice. He separated himself from previous mythological explanations, leaving out talk of an anthropomorphized Creator or agent of changes in nature. Liquidity provided the model of explanation, not reference to Poseidon the sea-deity. His program emphasized close observation of nature, and opened the door to quantifying changes and formulating scientific laws.

Thales’ moral notions of truth and intelligence in science Thales’ reputation, as Sage, for bridgebuilding between different intellectual endeavours, or between the emerging sciences and society, is given content by an over-arching theme in his collected fragments. There’s “one thing,” liquidity, as the model for explaining nature; “one thing”, good and wise, to find in speech; “one central council,” recommended for Ionian cities, to resist Persia’s expansionism; and “one thing,” mind, that runs through everything. The primacy of “one thing” resounds through the fragments like a repeated hammer-blow. It’s the mark of a thinker who combated divisiveness and dualities. The main focus, here, will be on the “one thing” with which scientific talk—or writing—should concern itself. More specifically, the focus will be on how this argues that moral values are internal to the very nature of science, and in a way that can help heal, or prevent a widening of, the “two cultures” divide.

In verses attributed to him, Thales maintained: “It is not many words which show an intelligent opinion: search out one wise thing, choose one good thing; for thus you will stop the ceaseless tongues of babbling men.” (Barnes, p. 68)

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Part of Thales’ meaning was the recommendation that scientists seek to describe individual phenomena, or make generalizations about patterns in phenomena, where our words correspond to the one great watery cycle of change that he hypothesized was fundamental to nature and its explanation.

It’s as though he supposed the emerging sciences would be branches of one unified field of study: fluid dynamics. Again, Thales distanced himself from precursors who sought truth about the world in myths. It is “wise” and “good” to seek this distancing, if we are to serve Thales’ non-anthropomorphizing scientific ideal of rationality.

In Thales, “truth” and “intelligence” are notions of double signification, and go beyond speaking words that merely correspond to physical reality. They have an inalienable moral aspect. (A similar doublebarrelled notion of truth has been advanced, recently, by scientist-humanist Jacob Bronowski, 1965). For Thales, correspondence to the world was a necessary, but not a sufficient, condition for truth and intelligence. In today’s terms, how “wise” and “good” is it to teach genetic engineering to an avowed terrorist? Yet our words may be true to physical reality.

The moral nature of Thales’ notions of truth and intelligence, is evident when comparing his words on saying “one thing” with similar lines in Hesiod’s poem, “Works and Days”: “The best treasure among men is a sparing tongue; the greatest good, when a man speaks in measure.

Speak evil, and you’ll soon hear worse spoken of yourself.” (ll. 719-21, my translation. See Lattimore, 1991) Thales was surely aware of his predecessor’s poetry. His lines can be seen as growing out of, and adding to, Hesiod’s thought.

In Hesiod, governance of the tongue by the moral principle of moderation (which covers a cluster of values, such as fairness and respect for others), is related to the agricultural landscape. There’s an underlying principle in

the landscape, as there should be in speech and action. There’s the principle or pattern of the seasonal cycle; and then the pattern of our activities in response to that, as we talk and work cooperatively together, planning and doing the ploughing, seeding and harvesting. For Hesiod, if our activities are properly patterned within the seasons, we can expect work to be rewarded with crops.

Reward isn’t guaranteed. But our labours will have had agricultural point, unlike ploughing just after seeding. The moral is related to the natural, as proper responsiveness to it. Our very understanding of agricultural cycles includes moral commitment to maintaining the trust of others, in the cooperative endeavour that farming and survival must be.

In parallel, and in Thales’ terms, willing “one thing” in our scientific words—that they consistently be directed by a concern for the mutual good—helps keep human speech and life in responsive harmony with the great cycles of nature. Though, in Thales, the cycles are to be thought of in terms of such meteorological processes as evaporation and condensation, not simply in terms of an agricultural cycle of seasons. Our words will be “intelligent,” “wise,” and “good” not just in pointing to those processes, but in developing and maintaining the trust of others, so that we can live cooperatively within the constraints of nature’s liquid cycles. For a central maxim of Thales is: “... let not words estrange you from those who have shared your trust.”

(Barnes, p. 69) Ultimately, the “one thing” we seek in speech, the most wise and good, is such mutual trust. There’s a timely political safeguarding of such mutual trust in Thales’ recommendation that Ionia institute a central government.

Science as integrally moral: preventing and healing the “two cultures” divide For Thales, a culture was an organic whole: another extension of his theme of “oneness.”

Dividing it into science and “the rest,” destroys it and the divided parts. As the comparison with Hesiod shows, the emerging sciences imported into their domain a value already prevalent in agricultural society: work and speak in mutual trust and respect, so as to enable society as a whole to flourish within the constraints of unalterable cycles of nature.

Then and now, this general value runs throughout society, shared by both scientists and non-scientists. It’s common ground.

Scientists can recognize and build on it to overcome the “two cultures” divide.

Scientists can’t communicate technicalities of their studies to non-scientists. Our task is

to explain these generally, with particular emphasis on communicating the value that we should live within the constraints of the laws and patterns we uncover in science. We use the laws of gravity in our technologies.

But we couldn’t use them as we do, if they were alterable by us. We should continually reinforce the understanding, amongst ourselves and non-scientists, that we live in a fool’s paradise, if we live as though our technologies could change the laws of nature themselves, and their adverse implications for us—in climate-change, say. Reinforcing this understanding was, for Thales, at the heart of “showing an intelligent opinion” in science.

Such intelligence is a much-needed antidote,

“… understanding may be achieved by participating widely in the life and debates of society …”

about our values are about what’s at the heart of science. Thales’ life shows how this wider understanding may be achieved: by participating widely in the life and debates of society, not by limiting ourselves to laboratories and classrooms. Today, this participation could be incorporated into university science curricula, perhaps though placement opportunities such as working in a science museum. If there are puzzling uncertainties in this wider life, we know, today, that the Uncertainty Principle rules in science, too.

Uncertainty isn’t for us to avoid.

Thalean thought would see through tooeasily-made claims that genetically modified foods are needed to feed the world’s hungry.

Are we rationalizing our own financial self-interest? People starve in many countries because traditional crops can’t be grown due to huge civil unrest. The same unrest would block purchase and distribution of modified foods. What these people need most is peace, and astute statesmen are required for this— as they were for Thales’ Ionia—not an unbridled profit-motive. A Thalean would also ask: do we know enough, scientifically, about the long-term consequences, for ourselves and the environment, if we switch to genetically modified crops? Or are we performing a potentially disastrous experiment on ourselves?

References today, to the pervasive illusion that technology can change and transcend everything—even the laws of nature.

For Thales, “Mind ... runs through everything,” is everywhere.(Barnes, p. 68) Taking mind as the domain of “intelligent opinion,” Thales advocated the ideal of scientists and non-scientists belonging to a worldwide community that shares the moral directive of living cooperatively within nature’s constraints. This ideal is crucially important today, when the most serious environmental problems are global, and require a worldwide joining of voices, across national borders, for their resolution.

Thales wasn’t anti-business. He made handsome profits renting out olive presses during bumper crops. But he thought that profits in agriculture, applied science, and technology must serve society’s flourishing as a whole, within the constraints of nature’s patterns and laws. He was well aware we can fool ourselves about our real motives, rationalizing financial self-interest as the common good. One of his key mottos was, “Know Thyself.” (Barnes, p. 69) We need better self-understanding, not just better scientific understanding. Thales wouldn’t dichotomize the two: mistakes

Barnes, Jonathan (1987), Early Greek Philosophy, Harmondsworth: Penguin.

Bronowski, Jacob (1965), Science and Human Values, New York: Harper and Row Lattimore, Richmond, trans. (1991), Hesiod, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press.

Roger Nash is Chair of the philosophy department at Laurentian University, and core faculty in a new science communication post-graduate diploma program co-hosted by Laurentian and Science North science centre. He teaches and researches primarily in environmental ethics and the history and philosophy of science, and is working on his sixth book of poetry. He can be contacted at roger_nash@hotmail.com.

Interfaces is edited by Richard Cassidy, FCIC. Its purpose is to explore the meaning of science, its evolution, and its role in our society. Your comments and critiques on the ideas published in Interfaces are welcome. Please send your letters to Richard.Cassidy@usask.ca. Previously published Interfaces columns are available at www.//chem4823.usask.ca/~cassidyr/.

March 2004

Canadian Chemical News 11

Are Chemists Too Shy For Their Own Good?

The executive director and CEO of the American Chemical Society firmly believes chemists must toot their own horns. Toot them loudly. And toot them often!

he public has relatively little understanding of chemistry, but this lack of knowledge is not entirely the public’s fault.

The title of this article was inspired by the May 24, 2001 issue of Nature that caught my eye with this blurb: “Chemists: Too shy for their own good.” Not a question, mind you, but a statement. Needless to say, I was hooked. I quickly opened up the journal to find not one but two articles devoted to the topic (Nature, 411, 399,408).

The first article was an editorial, titled “A discipline buried by success.” The gist of the editorial is familiar terrain to many of us. “Chemistry’s goal of understanding the form and function of molecules and studying how they interact is at the very heart of scientific endeavour. Yet its versatility comes at a price: recognition—or more accurately, lack of it.”

The editorial then defined chemistry, noting that it is no longer just restricted to the traditional sub-fields known as organic, inorganic, and physical. Rather, the field now encompasses other fields such as catalysis, polymers, materials science, combinatorial chemistry, genomics, and so forth.

“Chemists and chemistry have never been more vital to science and society than now,” the editorial states. But “the discipline is easily misunderstood, and those working in it are frequently under appreciated. ... Chemists have allowed those from outside the field to characterize it—to define what chemistry is and what it is not. To the public, chemical science is too often synonymous with the industry with which it shares its name. So chemistry means belching chimneys and poisoned rivers, not life-saving medicines and space age materials. To other researchers, policy-makers and crucially, young scientists, it is sometimes seen as a mature discipline with its most important and stimulating work behind it.

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12 L’Actualité chimique canadienne

Chemists, on the other hand, tell a different story. They speak excitedly about the promise of molecular electronics, the challenges presented by the need for sustainable energy,” and the opportunities for pharmaceuticals derived from the human genome sequences.

In the article, Nature writer David Adam asks: “What’s in a name? In the melting pot of modern science, chemistry’s cutting edge is being rebranded as biology or nanotechnology. ... Chemistry likes to style itself as the ‘central science’ but perhaps ‘bridesmaid science’ would be more appropriate.

Chemists have seen some of their brightest moments claimed by rival fields While other scientific disciplines reap maximum publicity from their triumphs, chemists have seen some of their brightest moments claimed by rival fields. From the discovery of lifesaving drugs to the explosion of work on carbon nanotubes, new developments in chemistry often seem to end up being appropriated by other disciplines.”

Nearly all of the major accomplishments in biology, for example, depend hugely on chemistry. Early work on DNA was done by chemists. Chemists also played a vital role in developing Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and its medical spin-off, magnetic resonance imaging.

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Madeleine Jacobs

I love this line from Adam’s article— indeed, I wish I had written it! “Like the supporters of an impoverished lower-league soccer club, chemists have grown used to seeing their star performers transferred to more glamorous teams. Even Nobel prizewinning chemistry, it seems, does not stay chemistry for long. The discovery of fullerenes was awarded the chemistry Nobel in 1996, but much of the work that has stemmed from that discovery is now seen as applied physics or nanotechnology.”

Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN) magazine’s managing editor gave still another example in the September 3, 2001 editorial entitled “No Chemistry, No Physics.” In that editorial, he wrote: “Maybe it’s time we threw in the towel, because it sure seems like we’re losing the battle.

What battle is that? The one where we convince the general public of the significant contributions chemistry is making to the well-being of humanity.”

His point of reference was the August 20 issue of Time magazine titled “America’s Best Science & Medicine.” In that issue, the Time editors focused on the most exciting fields of research and then looked for the men and women who are doing the most cutting edge research within those fields.

The magazine honours 18 individuals in cellular biology, human origins, child psychology, pediatrics, genomics, cardiology, oncology, climatology, ecology, AIDS research, astrophysics, paleontology, biomedical engineering, neurobiology, cell death, spinal cord repair, molecular mechanics, and lifetime achievement.

No chemistry, no physics.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s chemical engineer Robert Langer is honoured for his work on drug delivery, but he’s called a materials scientist. Anyone who knows Bob Langer knows that his success is dependent on his brilliance as a

Photo by Kenneth Jones

chemical engineer and a chemist—and he’s proud of doing both chemistry and chemical engineering.

The one chemist on the Time list is University of California, Berkeley chemistry professor Carlos Bustamante, cited in the molecular mechanics category for his use of lasers and an atomic force microscope to physically manipulate DNA and proteins.

What’s remarkable is how hard Time works to avoid using the words chemist and chemistry.

Let me tell you another story.

Not too long ago, I had dinner with U.S. Presidential science adviser John H. Marburger III prior to a briefing he gave to reporters. At dinner, we were talking about the public’s understanding of science and the fact that the public/media like astronomy and exotic particles in physics but the media doesn’t write or broadcast much about chemistry. I asked him why chemistry doesn’t get good press.

He ticked off a list of reasons: “Pollution, napalm in Vietnam, smells in the lab, boring teachers, it’s not visual.” I said I thought he was being a bit hard on chemistry and he said, “Well, chemistry does have a lot of exciting things … like self-replicating systems.” But he seemed hard pressed to come up with anything else. “Your turn will come,” he assured me. I asked him “In my lifetime?” and he laughed, and didn’t reply further.

Needless to say I wasn’t laughing. Will chemistry get its turn in my lifetime?

Not unless we all agree that it’s time to do something about it.

There has long been an aversion to science, at least since the end of the Sputnik era (mid-1960s). I do think it coincides with the Vietnam War. When I was growing up in the 1940s and 1950s, science and technology were seen in a very positive light (despite the atomic and hydrogen bombs).

This was the Golden Age of Science in general. One of C&EN’s senior editors, Stephen Ritter, told me, “In the Golden Age of Science, Everyman was interested in science. There were television programs like ‘Watch Mr. Wizard’ and DuPont’s slogan was ‘Better things for better living through chemistry.’ Everyman wanted to see us put a man on the moon. This same type of tangible science continues to move forward, but Everyman is no longer interested in the details, only the outcome. Everyman is burned out. How many times do you want to watch the space shuttle take off and land? Do you care anymore that there is a faster microprocessor? The public is still interested in medical advances, but the time

available for embracing this tangible science has also evaporated. People have less and less free time.”

There’s another aspect to this. Science is hard, chemistry is hard, and it’s always been hard. It’s not for sissies or people who don’t want to work hard. I think parents of the generation of kids in elementary school now came through their education at a time when the law and business were the careers to aspire to. They took, I suspect, very little science in school and it’s now hard for them to encourage their kids or help them with their homework and so they discourage their tots from taking it up.

I don’t think there is anything that the chemical profession could have done to change this situation or to have prevented it from happening. I think it’s an evolutionary process. But I think it’s time for the chemical profession to do something about this and reclaim chemistry achievements as its own.

Each of us must make it a personal challenge to make chemistry tangible and accessible to everyone To fail to do so will mean that we will fail to attract the best and the brightest young students, and if we fail to attract young people to chemistry, then the discipline as we know it will surely become completely invisible.

The general public needs a better understanding of chemistry because so many of the issues that they are asked to address today require an understanding of chemistry—pollution, global warming, genetically modified foods, cloning, to name a few areas.

In the Nature article, Harvard University’s Stuart Schreiber noted a few other reasons why chemistry is so invisible. He points out the difficulty of explaining chemistry to non-experts. Often the biological aspects of a chemical discovery are easier to explain.

In addition, both Schreiber and Harvard’s George Whitesides note that the drive towards interdisciplinary research is coming

from young researchers “keen to stretch their wings. Some senior academic chemists are less enthusiastic,” Schreiber says, “which is one reason why the discipline has failed to brand its contribution to emerging areas.”

The solution, Nature said in its editorial, is that “more of the frontline chemists streaming across the discipline’s borders into attention-grabbing multidisciplinary research must make their voices heard.

They should proclaim their roles to colleagues and try to ensure that chemical contributions are made known to the media.”

Indeed they should. And if you doubt the power of a well thought out, sustained effort to influence public opinion, you should take a look at the success of the American Chemistry Council’s (ACC) pilot “Good Chemistry Campaign.”

In 2000, when the Chemical Manufacturers Association changed its name to ACC, it also adopted a slogan, “Good Chemistry Makes It Possible.” In February 2001, ACC launched a pilot campaign using this slogan in three locales (C&EN, May 14, p. 13).

The campaign had four goals: transform industry identity to one that is dynamic and innovative, achieve recognition for industry-wide initiatives such as Responsible Care®, communicate the benefits of products made possible by chemistry, and earn the respect of key audiences.

At the ACC general membership meeting in June 2001, chemical executives were briefed on the pilot in Pittsburgh, PA, Springfield, MA, and Iberville Parish, LA. A key component of each location was advertising on billboards, on radio, and in newspapers. But equally important was the participation of chemical company employees in community events tailored to the specific locale.

Studies conducted in February, before the $1.5 million campaign got underway, and in May, after the public had been exposed to ads, showed a definite positive shift in favourable perception of the chemical industry and the business of chemistry. For example, of members of the public over the age of 25 who were polled, 14 percent were favourable toward the chemical industry at the beginning of February, but by late May 38 percent held a favourable opinion. Building on those results, ACC is now considering a major “reputation initiative.”

Dow Chemical CEO Michael Parker told ACC members at that meeting, “We are, as an industry, talented, capable people. But we need to marry our great analytical capabilities to our emotion, passion, belief, and commitment,” in connecting to the

March 2004

Canadian Chemical News 13

public and communicating the value of the chemical industry to society.

The Nature editorial put it this way: “If more chemists established these connections themselves, and talked up the potential benefits, their contributions would not be so easily overlooked.” Each of us must make a personal commitment to communicate the value of chemistry. Each of us must make it a personal challenge to make chemistry tangible and accessible to everyone. And we must enlist our colleagues and our students in this effort. How? • Write articles directed to children or for the general public for your local newspaper; • Volunteer to answer questions for an “Ask the Chemist”column in a local paper; • Volunteer to speak about chemistry to local civic groups, scouts, community associations, or local school PTA meeting. Whether you have children in school or not, volunteer to help out at a neighbourhood school; • If your university or company has a community outreach program, figure out a way to participate. A little help goes a long way. Assist teachers in finding resources that they can use to better integrate science into their whole

14 L’Actualité chimique canadienne

curriculum—including reading, writing, math, and history; • If you don’t know how to get started, contact the American Chemical Society’s Education Department and Membership Departments and let them help you.

They have tons of information for doing just that.

• Go to the public relations office at your company or university and asked for a news release about your latest achievement? Have you ever done this? Or did you give up because the person in the PR office didn’t understand what you were so excited about and you didn’t think it was worth your effort to explain it? I know some chemists who may overdo this, but most of you don’t do it enough.

When I visit universities, I talk with faculty members and invariably they ask me how we select stories in C&EN. It is a complex process, but in the end, the C&EN editors have to pick and choose each week from hundreds of articles. Needless to say, we can’t possibly read the abstracts of hundreds of articles—so we do rely to some extent on people bringing their best work to our attention. When I tell them that, the response is typically: “I don’t want to toot

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my own horn.” If you don’t toot it, who will? The biologists? I don’t think so!

When an article like the one in Time appears in which there is no mention of the role of chemistry, write a letter to the editor.

We at C&EN, of course, are not throwing in the towel. We will continue to report each week on the best chemistry that is done in the U.S. and around the world. But we can’t do it alone. You have to be a part of the solution.

So the answer to my question: “Are Chemists Too Shy for Their Own Good?” is a resounding YES. Nature said it this way: “Chemists should stop hiding their Bunsen burners under bushels.” Cute, but really out of date.

Chemists involved in basic research and in industry have a great story to tell. Let’s eschew modesty and tell it!

Madeleine Jacobs is executive director and chief executive officer of the American Chemical Society. A chemist by training, she served as editor-in-chief of Chemical & Engineering News magazine for more than eight years. This article was excerpted from a presentation she gave at the Joint 39th IUPAC Congress and 86th Conference of the Canadian Society for Chemistry in Ottawa, ON, August 2003.

Making the Connection Dow Chemical Canada initiates communication to show the public how advances in the chemical industry improve the quality of life

The Challenge ommunication. Trust. Understanding.

These words carry enormous importance for all of us as individuals—they’re the foundation for healthy human relationships. And I think they hold just as much meaning for Dow and the chemical industry as a whole.

It’s easy to think of a huge company like Dow as just that … a company. It’s even easier to put an institutional face on an entire industry. But once you do that, you can say goodbye to healthy concepts like communication, trust, and understanding.

People communicate with, and trust, and understand, other people.

They often don’t relate the same way to industry. The relationship can be especially difficult or distant if that industry uses materials with long, scary-sounding names and has products that at one time may have carried a skull and crossbones label! In many people’s minds, that skull and crossbones were the predominant symbol of our industry. It’s a symbol whose only positive connotations existed in the minds of Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Pittsburgh Pirates fans!

For the rest, I’m sad to say it’s a symbol that inspired fear and mistrust. And, as the research shows, we still see its legacy today.

In January 2003, key findings presented to the American Chemistry Council suggested that public perceptions of chemicals in the U.S. are poor, and that perceptions of the chemical industry are even worse. An information gap about chemical products and the industry is further harming our reputation.

In Europe, the research is just as discouraging. Since the year 2000, our industry has dropped to seventh out of eight listed in terms of overall image with consumers.

We’ve fallen behind petroleum and now only rate higher than the nuclear energy industry in the European public eye. Environics International recently concluded that the chemical industry as a whole is seen as highly polluting and inactive in prevention.

Their research has also shown the public is

C

Photo by Vdanwitz

hard-pressed to even name an environmentally responsible chemical company.

The discrepancy While these findings are discouraging, there is a positive side to this story. The good news here is that there’s an obvious discrepancy between what the public says about our industry and what they do. The public tells the data collectors, the pollsters and the media that they mistrust chemicals and the industry that produces them. Yet their buying choices say something altogether different. We all know you can’t

We need to communicate in a way that relates to peoples’ lives—about products and benefits rather than chemicals and risks go into a home anywhere in the Western world and not find countless products manufactured from chemicals by our industry.

This suggests to me that people aren’t making the connection between chemicals, the chemical industry and the vast array of products we all use on a daily basis. There does not appear to be a lot of successful communicating going on between the industry and the public and there does not appear to be much mutual trust as a basis for meaningful conversation.

Vince J. Smith Obviously, it’s up to us to close the gap, to initiate communication, to make the connection between what we do in the chemical industry and the quality of life we all enjoy in Western society. It’s up to us to build the trust necessary for a meaningful dialogue.

Reality versus perception So how do we do this? Let’s start by looking at the reality of our industry rather than the public’s perception of it. The fact is, we have a powerful and positive story to tell about who we are and what we do. Over the last 15 years, the chemical industry has made great strides in addressing many of the legitimate concerns the public had about us in the past. Many of you may know about Responsible Care®, our industry’s carefully developed ethical requirements for the safe and environmentally sound management of chemicals.

I’m very proud that this initiative began in Canada with key involvement from Dow people. Responsible Care is now used in over 40 countries and through it, we hold ourselves to a level of accountability and responsibility higher than that of many industries we rank behind in the public eye.

This ethic is increasingly being recognized by people who know us, and particularly by the communities that host our plants.

At Dow, we’ve become leaders in developing new technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address the climate change issue. For example, we recently announced an agreement with General Motors on a test project that will use their fuel cells and our hydrogen to generate electricity for our plant at Freeport, TX. This fits into Dow’s overall commitment to sustainable development—something we call “the Triple Bottom Line”— economic prosperity, environmental stewardship, and corporate social responsibility.

We’re doing a lot of good things at Dow—a lot of the right things. But if we’re

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to change public perception, build trust and enter into meaningful dialogue, we have to let people know what we’re doing. And even that’s not enough. You don’t get people to trust you just by talking about things like Responsible Care and sustainable development. You have to prove that you’re “walking the talk.”

Thankfully for us at Dow, the proof is there. We call it third party validation and it’s very important for our credibility. We’ve been given this validation by both government and the private sector. For instance, in 2002 President Bush awarded Dow the National Medal of Technology for the positive impact our innovative technology has had on society. Since 1989, we’ve received five “green chemistry” awards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Dow Jones Sustainability Index ranked us first in the chemical industry in 2000 and 2001.

And Dow Canada has received a Leadership Award from the Voluntary Challenge and Registry for reducing greenhouse gases.

So we’ve got two-thirds of the formula in place. We’re doing the right things and we’ve been recognized by other credible sources for it. Now, we’re working at telling our story to the public at large.

Telling our story In telling our story, we can learn from the media and the communications and public relations professionals. They know how to communicate with the public. They’re

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masters at cutting away the complexities of an issue and getting to the point. They keep it simple! Their counterparts, the communications people also have a technique we can utilize—repetition. They understand that a message rarely gets through the first time; it needs to be repeated continually over time before people “get it.” We need to tell our story simply and repeatedly.

We also need to tell our story proactively. That means making sure we’re heard not just when there’s a crisis, or a problem, but on a consistent basis. We need to communicate in a way that relates to peoples’ lives—about products and benefits rather than chemicals and risks.

We need to remind the public that we are people too. We care about the same things they do. That’s how we at Dow are working to tell our story.

So our messages include the information that I’ve given you about Responsible Care and sustainable development. They include third party validation. And they state simply, and repeatedly, that while we make chemicals, plastics and agricultural products, these don’t define who we are. We are people who work to raise the daily quality of life in our society. We state simply and repeatedly that our corporate mission is to constantly improve what is essential to human progress by mastering science and technology. We want to be seen as contributing to the well-being of society. We state simply and repeatedly that we aim to achieve this

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through our relationships with communities, with people. We want to make a difference, so that as we prosper and grow as a company, the communities in which we operate will benefit as well. We state simply and repeatedly that we’re committed to the core values of economic prosperity, environmental stewardship and corporate social responsibility.

We tell this story wherever and whenever we can. We do it by helping to sponsor events and by building healthy, proactive relationships with the media.

And we carefully, and deliberately, reinforce these values in our advertising.

Conclusion There’s no escaping the truth about how we in this industry, and the materials we work with, are perceived. But as I’ve said, the good news is that we’re dealing with perceptions, and that perceptions can be changed.

The reality of our work and the contribution we make is a positive and healthy one.

I firmly believe that if we keep telling our story, we will be heard. People will make the connection between the chemical industry and their improved quality of life.

Vince J. Smith is president and CEO of Dow Chemical Canada. He delivered this speech at the 39th IUPAC Congress and 86th Conference of the Canadian Society for Chemistry.

Say What?

Once we have the public’s attention—how can we help them to understand what chemists mean?

hen addressing the public, chemists often use words for simple concepts from chemical English. Because several words, such as base, compound, and volatility have different meanings for chemists and laypeople, and explanations by chemists sometimes make no sense to the common person. For better communication with the public, chemists should adopt new terms for several common concepts.

The terminology within scientific or medical fields is sometimes denounced as jargon used to keep the public in the dark. But chemists have inadvertently achieved this effect without use of terms that might be called jargon. Many of the common words of chemistry are well known to the general public, but with different meanings.

A lay reader immediately recognizes chemistry terminology for meanings that make no sense in the chemical context.

Baffled, the layperson concludes that chemistry is obscure and difficult and turns his or her attention to something else.

One such word is compound, our term for a chemical entity composed of two or more elements. However, to the man or woman on the street, a compound is often understood to be a mixture, or a “goo,” useful for some practical purpose. Compounds found in a local hardware store include: ACE Spackling Compound, Janitor Strength Ammonia Cleaning Compound, and Turtle Wax Polishing Compound. Another type of compound well known to laypeople is a large fenced or walled-in area. While the chemists’ meaning can be found in the dictionary, most people hesitate before inquiring about a word with which they already associate a meaning.

Another common term among chemists is solution, a homogeneous mixture of a solute with a fluid. To our fellow citizens, however, a solution is the answer to a problem. When a chemist speaks of an “alcohol solution of a compound,” a non-chemist is likely to wonder what problem the “goo” had and why alcohol solved it!

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Joseph F. Bunnett

Other problematic terms: Volatile appears regularly in newspaper financial discussions, meaning changeable or tending to erupt into violent action. A base is understood by laypeople to be a centre of operations or a feature of a baseball diamond. Among other common chemical words causing such difficulties are aromatic, organic, and concentration.

Pure presents yet another problematic term. To a chemist, “pure water” is 100 percent H2O, but the public understands it to be uncontaminated water from a natural source. The public’s pure spring water may have myriad mineral impurities.

A “base” is understood by laypeople to be a centre of operations or a feature of a baseball diamond These misunderstandings are not trivial.

Public understanding of chemistry is poor. Even the distinction between an atom and a molecule and the difference between melting and dissolving are beyond the ken of many laypeople.

The unsatisfactory public comprehension of chemistry dismays chemists of broad perspective. It makes people susceptible to gurus teaching “chemophobia.” The economic consequences of chemophobia to firms in the chemical industry are substantial.

What can we do about it? This is not a problem within the discipline of chemistry. Current terminology is adequate for communication among chemists. But if chemists seriously desire to communicate more effectively with the public, something must be done.

The current situation is not the fault of either lay citizens or chemists. Chemists cannot change the English language as it is generally understood. Instead, we must adopt new words and use them in our everyday speech, the lab, the classroom, and the seminar room in place of those that might cause confusion. As the new terms become commonplace in conversation among chemists, we will naturally use them in writing for or speaking to laypeople.

It may seem outrageous to think chemists could abandon talking about compounds, solutions, organic and aromatic compounds, and volatile solvents. But word changes have been made in colloquial English, and people as enlightened and motivated as chemists can make them. Instances of such adjustments abound. For example, the town dump of the past is the landfill of today, and tidal waves are now tsunamis. In recent decades, American chemists have changed symbolization of free energy from F to G. Changing words used in everyday laboratory conversation will require consensus among chemists that the changes are desirable and the new terms are acceptable.

Chemists must agree that better communication with the general public is important, and they must willingly go along with new terms properly adopted.

How could new terms be chosen? A committee of chemists representing the major English-speaking nations should coordinate the process. Similar problems that may exist in other languages should be dealt with by people who speak those languages. The committee should first ask for suggestions from chemists in Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, South Africa, the U.K., and the U.S. Having considered the suggestions, it should advance tentative new terms and request criticism.

After six to twelve months, the committee should proffer a new set of terms, which ideally will then be endorsed by the chemical societies of the English-speaking nations.

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What kind of changes?

The changes should be as slight as possible.

If English words with essentially the meanings intended by chemists exist, they should be utilized. Such a term is alkali, which has the same meaning as base. Entity could also possibly be used instead of compound. In some contexts, one might say chemical entity. A change that should be made immediately, even before compound is replaced, is the installation of carbon compound instead of organic compound.

Chemists may feel that organic has been usurped by the counter-culture crowd; nevertheless they must accept the situation with dignity and adjust to it. After all, an early notion that all carbon compounds came from living organisms has long been known to be incorrect.

There are also possibilities to adapt terms from other languages to the English context.

Thus, the German word for solution (Lösung) could be Anglicized as lewsung to avoid the German capitalization of nouns and pronunciation of ö. Lewsung spoken by an American in Illinois sounds much like Lösung spoken by a German.

What next?

It would be splendid if a grass roots demand for changes such as these were to arise from the chemists of English-speaking lands. But improvement will materialize faster if prominent chemists speak in its favour.

I would expect leaders in the chemical industry to take special interest in this miscommunication problem, because the industry feels so harassed by chemophobia.

Joseph F. Bunnett is professor of chemistry emeritus in the department of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of California, Santa Cruz. He spent his years as a Fulbright scholar at University College, London and the University of Munich. He was founding editor of Accounts of Chemical Research and continued in that role for 20 years.

Reprinted with permission of the American Institute of Chemists, Philadelphia, PA, 2003.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Send your thoughts on this article to Letters to the Editor at editorial@cheminst.ca

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Stunning Stunts Our British counterparts spark widespread media interest in chemistry through offbeat news stories

cross the globe, the public perception of chemistry could use a boost.

Britain’s Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) turned to the media for assistance.

Since forming its media office two years ago, the RSC has striven to get itself on the nation’s news landscape. It has managed to do just that by accelerating output of both serious and lightweight copy.

The society’s corporate belief is that generating populist stories in the daily media has the benefit of igniting news desks’ interest in its educational and policy stances as well as in its general mission.

To achieve the popular coverage so far attained, the media team of two based in London’s West End concocted a series of hard-hitting stunts that resulted in massive

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One of the RSC’s notorious chemistry stunts was dished up at The Leys public school in Cambridge, England. Pupils were served a meal of wartime rations to promote the RSC’s publication of the 6th edition of The Composition of Food. The book was first published in 1940 and is still considered an essential nutritional reference.

Brian Emsley

national, and in some cases international, coverage. En route, they netted finalist places in the 2003 and 2002 public relations industry awards run by the Institute of Public Relations and by PR Week magazine.

Judges agreed that the RSC had managed to spark widespread interest in chemistry through creation of offbeat news and features.

The downside of this coverage has been objections from some RSC members who believe that it is degrading for a royal institution to engage in public relations methods that employ frivolous means.

Most often cited as being in the latter category was the award of an RSC Fellowship to Sherlock Holmes for his contribution to chemistry. Objections included the fact that he was a fictional character as well as a drug abuser and that bona fide Fellows would find offense in conferment of a coveted award to a man who never existed.

Even the London Daily Telegraph went into print with an attack on the allegedly frivolous public relations release from the RSC, angered by the success of the Holmes stunt, in which the society used the centenary of The Hound of the Baskervilles as a hook for a stunt.

Undeterred—indeed encouraged—by the adverse reaction of a conservative national leader writer, the RSC plowed on with stunts related to the efficacy of mead as an aphrodisiac, and the discovery and subsequent testing of a jar of pickle laid down by a Women’s Institute member the month that Neil Armstrong made his giant step for humankind.

Some stunts flopped. Others—such as the recreation of a Shakespearean love potion based on a verse from A Midsummer Night’s Dream—sparked extensive media interest; particularly since the RSC engaged the involvement of the other RSC (Royal Shakespeare Company) which was coincidentally starting a run of the comedy at Stratford upon Avon, where the media stunt was launched.

The most successful PR initiative was a summer 2003 tribute to George Orwell on

his centenary by which the RSC commissioned a university to produce a perfect cup of tea, the beverage being the favourite drink of the visionary author of 1984.

The RSC’s stunts resulted in massive national, and in some cases international, coverage Two years after the ground-breaking Shakespeare stunt, the RSC is still planning lightweight hits on the national media. But it is now running alongside weightier campaigns and forays by which it gains extensive awareness of corporate views and its mission.

It might be said that the present climate in the U.K. in which university chemistry departments are being axed for economic reasons would have resulted in a heightened profile for the profession and discipline without the booster rocket of sensationalist PR. Nevertheless, the RSC feels that no damage has been done by its creative news tactics. At the very least, it has demonstrated that chemical scientists do have a sense of humour and a willingness to claim their rightful place in the spotlight from time to time.

Brian Emsley created the media office of the Royal Society of Chemistry in January 2002 with the backing of his manager, to get chemistry in the news rapidly, within the bounds of decency and good taste.

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What If All Chemists Quit?

From the president of the French chemistry society comes this nightmarish tale of science fiction

t was decided! At the general assembly of their international conference, chemists decided to cease all work, analyses and activities. This decision was made as a result of incessant, nearly century-long criticisms of their work, thrown at them through the media by consumers, public authorities and interest groups. The chemists were concerned about the public good and preoccupied with the protection of individuals, as well as mindful of the impact of all phenomena—whether natural or not—on the planet. But they could no longer endure the outcast status imposed

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their favourite target. Consumer associations applauded the return to a natural environment (which they considered spoilt by chemical activities). Strong personalities—both from the right and left of the political spectrum—did not fail to take credit for the situation, claiming loudly and forthrightly that it was the result of their own action.

For awhile the public hardly noticed any change in normal everyday activity. Curiously, the effect on atmospheric pollution was practically nil: refineries had sufficient reserves of fuel, and vehicles continued to

on them by society. Society accused them of being responsible for all of the evils they were actually striving, with all their might, to detect and correct.

It was thus with sadness, but determination, that they parted company. They returned to their countries of origin to devote their lives to other activities that they were able to undertake due to their very broad training and varied personal interests.

At first, the decision was unanimously welcomed with exclamations of relief! Ecology groups were happy to see the back of

run and were still causing the usual pollution. Many noticed what chemists already knew—vehicles were the main culprit for contaminating the air. The chemical industry accounts for only a tiny fraction of global pollution.

The first signs of change appeared when fuel supplies began to run out. Without chemists to supervise refining processes, and without analysts to oversee the quality of finished products, crude oil tanks overflowed. It soon became necessary to halt the flow of black gold from its various sources

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Armand Lattes because of a lack of the technical means to transform it. Thus the government made some unpopular decisions: first a rationing system was introduced, and then stocks were requisitioned for priority sectors such as healthcare, ambulances, the military, etc.

The first winter presented no problems because of the preparations individuals made to keep their gas tanks filled with fuel. But they quickly realized they couldn’t renew their supplies when refineries weren’t running. Fortunately, many had already chosen the all-electric method, and nuclear power stations continued to operate (without supervision by chemists), providing the energy necessary for modern life. At first, this seemed to limit the consequences of living without fuel.

Nevertheless, there was perceptible dissatisfaction—but among the environmental protection groups who were recording an appreciable decrease in air pollution with the aid of the automatic detection devices that were still operating. Very quickly, however, the reagents required for monitoring air pollution became scarce, and from then on it became impossible to set up any form of detection.

At this stage, the use of alternative methods became widespread. The bicycle became the preferred mode of transportation since cars were abandoned almost everywhere with the exhaustion of fuel supplies. Bicycles were even more welcome now that the absence of motor vehicles meant that cyclists could use bicycle lanes without fear of being knocked down or even flattened. But the increased use of bicycles had an unexpected consequence: abnormal wear on tires. The public highways were in a bad state and were losing layers of asphalt, causing tires to wear down rapidly.

When the tires could no longer be replaced, the bicycles were themselves abandoned, despite the efforts of those who remembered the Second World War and did their utmost to keep them in working order with the limited means at their disposal. In this way, people learned that asphalt is the

result of a complex chemical formulation requiring the synthesis of substances that bind gravel and stones together. Tires are also the result of a subtle formulation that is essentially—not to say totally—chemical.

The heating situation became serious at the beginning of the second winter. The second eruption of the Pinatubo volcano in the Philippines had created a difficult situation by polluting the atmosphere to a height of 24 kilometres, and destroying 20 percent of the ozone layer. This caused a dramatic decline in the temperature.

Without most of the energy sources they were accustomed to, people modified their installations to adapt them to the old-fashioned methods they were rediscovering, such as: • Coal primarily, but with scant supervision and the coke works closing, the production of quantities of sulphurous, and even acidic gas became massive— and completely uncontrolled! The results ruined furniture, led to an increase in the number of asthma sufferers, and to the destruction of forests due to acid rain. In addition, there were numerous cases of carbon monoxide poisoning. They were caused by boilers that had been clumsily modified, leading to faulty combustion; • Wood was also an exploitable material, and more so as a result of the closure of wood pulp-producing paper mills that had made vast quantities available. The country drew on its extensive forest reserves. But these soon started to dwindle given the destruction of numerous areas by acid rain. This process was exacerbated by parasites that had become virulent in the absence of chemical combatants.

Some problems start a chain reaction.

An incident in a nuclear power station, linked to the lack of chemical controls in the plant and in the development of the fuel, forced authorities to take emergency measures that quickly led to the closure of all the power stations.

Electricity was in limited supply and available only in rotations. People had to get around on foot and were limited to short distances. This led to the resurgence of their tribal instincts—the wealthy jealously guarded their possessions and were reluctant to share with the less fortunate.

As a result, “tribal” conflicts became commonplace and developed into bellicose local regimes. The smallest spark could lead to confrontation.

The chemists’ decision to quit also affected consumers in one of the most essential aspects of their lives—food. It started with shortages of everyday ingredients, such as sugar. This ordinary, inexpensive, and basic chemical product began to disappear because of the complexities in extracting it from beetroot and purifying it. Without fertilizers, there was a massive drop in not only beetroot production, but also in all forms of plant production. Wheat yields were reduced to numbers reminiscent of the nineteenth century. Vegetables became increasingly rare, as they were attacked by Colorado beetles, caterpillars, and other insects. As a consequence, herds of cattle and other livestock were reduced because of a lack of feed and because of diseases that veterinarians could no longer treat without proper medications.

Milk had to be rationed since the means to stabilize it were no longer available.

Consumers found the taste of butter rancid without the antioxidizing agents

synthesis—right from the very start of the strike. The public learned that: • All drugs used to combat AIDS (tritherapy) came from chemical preparations; • Certain hormones were not natural, but were manufactured entirely by chemists. As birth control pills began to run out, many undesired pregnancies were recorded. The disappearance of televisions (whose components are the result of syntheses) contributed to the high numbers; • Even natural substances, anticarcinogenic molecules such as Taxotere®, are optimized by chemical modulation; • Many people were surprised to discover that aspirin was a chemical product! Its absence was cruelly felt, and the substitution of a decoction of willow leaves did not compensate. It only had a limited effect (as has been known for more than two centuries).

Other more or less serious consequences were recorded, perhaps most notably in the manufacture of clothing.

that had helped to suppress it. Cardboard and plastic packaging were no longer manufactured, so without conserving agents to rely on, meat had to be consumed very quickly.

Limited in their movements, suffering from the cold and the heat, and living with the faint light generated by tallow candles (a chemist’s invention), the average life expectancy shortened rapidly. Certain illnesses made a comeback due to the lack of drugs—the majority of which had been produced by chemical

Artificial fibres had virtually disappeared, and with them the varieties of protection they had provided: protection from the cold, from heat, resistance to bad weather, “intelligent” cloth, etc. Natural fibres dominated: wool (despite the fact that sheep numbers were falling and the availability of this material was reduced), and cotton (but since pesticides were no longer available, whole fields of it were destroyed).

People found themselves living in conditions similar to those their parents

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and grandparents had experienced during the Second World War. They learned how to re-use waste materials and to salvage the least bit of cloth. Abandoned car parts were recycled, and pants were adorned with seats that rarely matched their original colour. Dyes were a thing of the past and the lack of diversity meant that clothes became drab gray, browns, and off-white due to a lack of detergents. Jeans were no longer manufactured—the artificial blue dye couldn’t be replaced by the low quantities of woad crops.

The situation had become intolerable and modes of communication broke down.

There was no more paper or printing ink.

There were no more radio or television broadcasts—conducting wire and aerials couldn’t be replaced, nor could destroyed screens, and there was a lack of electronic components, etc.

Forums were organized to serve as rallying points where people could express their views. A unanimous agreement was reached: a delegation was dispatched to persuade the politicians that this state of affairs must end. They demanded that chemists had to return to work! From far and wide, by horse and cart, and on foot, the delegation was received by a parliament reduced to communicating by foot messenger with the outside world.

A committee headed by two former chemists was charged with the task of meeting with the chemists to persuade them to return to work. This was no easy task as they first had to be located. As the chemists had stated at the start of the conflict, they had all left the profession and become shop and restaurant owners, organists, cooking instructors, sports trainers, priests, soldiers, etc. The general public, stupefied, realized that behind chemistry there were chemists! These men and women, members of their own communities, were sharing their daily ups and downs. And they were respectful of nature and the environment.

At the start of the negotiations, there were hesitations on the part of the chemists who remembered past criticisms. After much thought, they were willing to sign an agreement on the condition that the community accept a certain number of rules, assembled to form a charter. Here are the main articles of this charter: 1. The signatories, having recognized the chemists’ positive achievements, undertake to no longer hold either chemists or their speciality responsible for all evils;

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2. When necessary, they will recognize chemists’ accomplishments, and not (as in the past) attribute their achievements to other disciplines. For example, a medical product synthesized by a chemist would no longer be attributed simply to the field of medicine.

3. Instead of looking for the negative side of a chemical discovery, an objective analysis will be made of its contribution to society before making any statement or taking any stand.

In exchange, chemists undertake to return to work and continue their efforts to establish

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an enduring civilization, respectful of humankind and its environment, and guaranteeing the positive effects of progress for future generations.

Armand Lattes is president of the French chemistry society, la Société Française de Chimie. He is also president of the Toulouse Academy of Sciences and professor at the Université Paul Sabatier (Toulouse III) in France.

He is author and chief editor of five books on chemistry, and from 1995–1999, he served on the NATO Scientific Committee as a chemistry expert.

Public Outreach—NCW 2003 Highlights The Sponsors Gold BASF Dow Chemical Canada Inc. Merck Frosst Centre for Therapeutic Research

Silver Anachemia Science Bayer Inc. Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd. H.L. Blachford Ltd. National Research Council Canada NOVA Corporation Syncrude Canada Ltd.

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Bronze 3M Canada Company Alcan International Limited Atofina Canada Colors and Chemicals Ltd. Canadian Association of Chemical Distributors Canadian Chemical Producers’ Association Canadian Fertilizer Institute CropLife Canada Diagnostic Chemicals Ltd. L.V. Lomas Limited Lorus Therapeutics Inc. Meloche Monnex National Silicates Limited Rechochem Inc. Rhodia Canada Inc. Seastar Chemical Torcan Chemical Ltd.

National Chemistry Week October 16–27 octobre 2004 Semaine nationale de la chimie

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Canadian Chemical News 25

National Chemistry Week The National Crystal Growing Competition he National Crystal Growing Competition has been a major part of National Chemistry Week (NCW) for many years. Thanks to sponsors Anachemia Science, who supplied the rochelle salt needed to grow the crystals, and BASF Canada, who provided regional t-shirt prizes as well as the national cash prizes and student prizes, this competition continues to play an important role in promoting chemistry to high school students. This was another record-breaking year for the National Crystal Growing Competition: we set a new record for overall score of 80.5 percent surpassing last year’s record of 80.3 percent. This was accomplished by the team of students Kshitiz Gupta, Peter Ao, and Shakib Rahman from Harry Ainlay Composite High School, Edmonton, AB, under the direction of teacher Aura Pombert.

The runners-up in the overall score category were Stéphane Cormier and Steven Allen from Polyvalente des Abénaquis, St-Prosper, QC, with Robert Bilodeau, their teacher (score 72.1 percent).

Third place went to Lynne Bosquet, Patrick Koch, and Jess Vereault from Merivale High School, Nepean, ON, under the supervision of teacher Henry Jakubinek (score 63.5 percent).

The best quality crystal, scoring 9.85 out of a maximum 10, was submitted by Point Grey Secondary School, Vancouver, BC, students Annie Chow, Christine Brown, and Petros Mouratidis under the supervision of teacher Leslie Johnston.

The second place crystal from École Le Sommet in Quebec scored 9.85 and was grown by Marie-Pier Savoie with the assistance of Denis Berner, teacher. This was followed by a 9.63 crystal created by Guillaume Cyr, Simon Jomphe, and Michael Bisson from École Mgr-Labrie, Havre St-Pierre, QC, with proud teacher Eric Fallu looking on. Fallu had another reason to be proud: he came in first (out of four competitors) in the teacher division.

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Overall winning crystal from Harry Ainlay Composite High School (above) and best quality crystal from Point Grey Secondary School (below right) are shown.

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In all, we received submissions from 12 different parts of the country.

A special thank you goes to the teachers who supervised their students, to The Chemical Institute of Canada volunteers who coordinated the contest in their local areas, and to George Ferguson of the department of chemistry, University of Guelph, for assistance in judging the crystals.

Chris Young, MCIC 2003 National Crystal Growing Competition Coordinator Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

The Mall Displays he chemistry department at the University of Calgary organized a “Chemistry Show” in a shopping mall for the first time in 1991. The purpose was to spark interest in chemistry and popularize it as a part of everyday life. From the very beginning the show became a special attraction, thus it kept growing over the years.

Last October, we hosted the 12th consecutive show. It consisted of 17 educational displays with a number of comprehensive demonstrations, interesting hands-on activities and competitions. Each of these was accompanied by informative explanations delivered by enthusiastic volunteers.

The popularity of the show grew enormously among visitors as well as the volunteers. For the last show all 114 volunteer positions were filled in only one week, primarily by undergraduate and graduate students. Approximately 45 others regretfully remained on the waiting list. Quite a number of volunteers from previous shows, who enjoyed the experience so much in the past, joined us again. Also many new volunteers this year pledged to participate again in the future. The majority of volunteers and visitors

Photo by Ian MacDonald

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were disappointed to find out that the show takes place only once a year. In addition to extensive advertising on TV, radio, newspapers, in schools, on the Web, and in the mall,

numerous calls and messages were received before the show from those who wanted to make sure not to miss it. During and after the show, science and chemistry teachers from junior high and high schools contacted us with compliments and asked for procedures and/or ideas for demonstrations suitable for their teaching program or science projects.

Some teachers asked for an opportunity to bring their students to the University of Calgary chemistry department for a tour and to view demonstrations, while others invited us to visit and perform a set of demonstrations in their classrooms. Many students, who visited the show, wrote school essays about it and/or demonstrated some experiments to their peers.

The chemistry show has become a tradition in the department and in the community and represents a special entry in our calendars. Therefore we are investing a lot of time, effort, and finances to keep it alive and enrich it to be more attractive and educational for many more years to come.

Majda Djordjevic Chemistry Show Coordinator (1997–present)

The School Visits omething different was tried at Espanola High School during the 2003 NCW! I selected a special education class to demonstrate what chemistry was all about and I must say that I got an enthusiastic response from the subjects that I entertained. Especially one student whose name is Greg Pearson.

Greg is a special student at Espanola High School who impresses his teachers with his outstanding ability to retain everything that he observes.

I had a delightful experience with Greg and his fellow classmates who have their own room at Espanola High School where they work during the day. Knowing that chemical demonstrations stimulate a lot of interest in students, I decided to try something with these students who are so appreciative with anything that you can do for them. So, I got out an “ole” demonstration of working with potassium iodide and lead nitrate. This was from my own high

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school days and one that impressed me the very first time that my high school chemistry teacher, Mr. Philp, showed the class. I have never forgotten how that reaction sparked my curiosity and left me with an indelible impression as a teenager.

I was happy to see that the same expression occurred with the special students of this class, especially Greg. He was really excited! Hopefully, there will be more demonstrations to be presented to these students with special needs! You can’t imagine what joy it brings to see their enthusiasm when someone takes an interest in doing something special for them.

I would like to thank Mrs. LaCasse, Mrs. McGrath, and Mrs. Trudeau for their assistance in allowing me to take this opportunity to show these students what chemistry is all about.

March 2004

Ken Naples, MCIC Espanola, ON

Canadian Chemical News 27

The Competitions igh school students from the Central Fraser Valley, BC, were invited to participate in the eighth annual chemistry lab skills contest held at University College of the Fraser Valley (UCFV). With the recent opening of a third chemistry laboratory at UCFV, and financial support as a result of a PromoScience grant administered by the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the maximum number of participants was increased this year. This increase resulted in 11 high schools from the UCFV catchment area entering a record of 17 four-person teams.

Each team completed seven experiments consisting of two quantitative determinations and five syntheses. The overall winner was one of two teams from W.J. Mouat Secondary School, consisting of Robert McDougall, Bradley Roger, Andrew Field, and Ezekiel Echon. Yale Secondary School, the winner for the last four years, placed second with the team of Brian Wong, Katie Newcombe, Rika Morrow,

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and Rebecca Graham. The team of Emily Glenn, Kuljit Dhaliwal, Ryan Dyck, and Jared Klassen, representing the Mennonite Educational Institute, was third. Members of the first-placed each received $100 and their school received a copy of The Merck Index for use in its laboratory. Members of the second- and third-placed teams each received $50 and $25, respectively.

Complimentary snacks, lunch, and a custom-designed t-shirt were provided for all participants, and a number of the contestants won door prizes that had been donated by Fisher Scientific and VWR Scientific. The traditional postcontest chemistry magic show, presented

by UCFV staff and students, was well received by the participants and their guests.

Additional details, including photographs, can be found on the UCFV chemistry department Web site, www.ucfv.bc.ca/chemistry/.

Arthur Last, MCIC University College of the Fraser Valley

The Industrial Visits straZeneca R&D Montréal participated during National Chemistry Week with different experiments that were fun, interactive, and colourful. A new display was set up each day in the building, along with chemistry facts pertaining to everyday life. To give people an experiment that they could carry out at home with their friends and families, we gave out recipes for homemade bath bombs, complete with free samples.

High school students from Lindsay Place High School were invited to the site, where they were given a presentation on the company and the drug discovery process, emphasizing the role of chemists at the site.

They were given a tour of the chemistry department including the labs. Their visit culminated in joining the AstraZeneca staff for the annual making of ice cream, indulging in the NCW cake and viewing posters about the chemistry department. In addition, they tried different experiments, including the favourite: making slime!

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Carmen Leung AstraZeneca R&D Montréal

28 L’Actualité chimique canadienne

mars 2004

The Lectures he University of New Brunswick Undergraduate Chemistry Society successfully held a special lecture given by Todd Arsenault. The environmental chemistry based lecture was entitled “How Deep Are Your Footprints? Your Impact on Environmental Chemistry.” This was a public lecture that was well attended by an audience of approximately 50 people; from the general public, students and teachers from nearby high schools and students, faculty, and staff from the university community were in attendance. The lecture was

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centred on the environmental pollution that is close to home, instead of the stereotypical smokestacks and toxic waste dumps that often come to mind. Air, land, and water impacts were investigated based on “everyday” pollutants that are now emerging in the environment. The lecture was enjoyed by all, and was interactive; Arsenault frequently asked questions of his audience and performed demonstrations throughout his talk.

Arsenault is currently the Provincial Drinking Water Specialist for the Department

of the Environment and Local Government.

He has over ten years experience in environmental and analytical chemistry as well as a wide experience of other areas of Organic Chemistry, including synthesis, structure determination, and the chemistry of natural products. Arsenault is also an alumni of UNB’s Bachelor of Science in Chemistry program.

Crystal Craig Undergraduate Student Chapter President University of New Brunswick

The Promotional Material ach year, the NCW Team chooses an assortment of promotional items to distribute to NCW and other outreach coordinators to assist them in their chemistry shows, displays or other events. Merck Frosst Centre for Therapeutic Research has been a major

E

supporter producing pocket periodic table cards that are distributed to universities, high schools, and the general public. The following letter shows how the NCW program has worked in Canadian schools:

To whom it may concern: I am a chemistry teacher at Don Bosco Catholic Secondary School in Toronto, ON. In previous years, a program co-sponsored by the Canadian Society for Chemistry during National Chemistry Week has allowed me to give students laminated business-sized periodic tables.

I was unaware that this program was so successful until a number of my students returned this year to inform me that they had become interested in pursuing a career in chemistry because of my efforts to give them what they described as “the little extras” that helped them to become successful chemists. One of the reasons I had done this for my students was because one of my teachers had done it for me. To this day I still carry that laminated periodic table in my breast pocket. It not only serves as a fond memory and a right of passage, but also reminds my students of the importance of such a small piece of paper.

They are always amazed how much information can be collected in such a small space.

Sincerely, Michael Dawson Don Bosco Catholic Secondary School For a complete list of promotional items available, visit www.cheminst.ca/ncw/orderfrm.html.

The material above is just a small summary of events that took place across the country for National Chemistry Week 2003. For details on other events as well as additional information about the program and educational material available, please visit the Web site at www.cheminst.ca/ncw.

March 2004

Canadian Chemical News 29

Experiment a little …

You can find these and other fun-filled experiments for students at the National Chemistry Week Web site at cheminst.ca/ncw!

Uphill Climbers Purpose: To determine if water can rise in a vertical paper towel.

Materials: • scissors • 2'' by 8'' (5 cm x 20 cm) strip of paper towel • red food colouring • transparent tape • pencil • tap water • ruler • glass jar, about 6'' (15 cm) tall Procedure: 1. Place a drop of red food colouring 2'' (5 cm) from one end of the paper strip.

2. Tape the uncoloured end of the paper to the center of the pencil. Roll some of the paper around the pencil.

3. Pour about 1'' (2.5 cm) of water into the jar.

4. Lower the paper into the jar. Unroll the strip until the bottom edge just touches the water.

Why? The paper is made of tiny fibres. The spacing of the fibres forms tube-like structures throughout the paper. The water can be seen zigzagging through these spaces. The adhesive attraction of water to the paper is strong enough to move the water up the sides of the fibre tubes against the downward pull of gravity.

The water molecules cling to the fibre then pull the lower water molecules up the centre of the tube. The movement of the water up through the tiny tubes is called capillary action.

From: Janice VanCleave’s 202 Oozing, Bubbling, Dripping & Bouncing Experiments, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1996, page 52.

30 L’Actualité chimique canadienne

mars 2004

Removing Iodine from Iodized Salt Objective: To remove potassium iodide from iodized salt. Iodine is a halogen. At room temperature it is a bluish-black solid with a metallic luster and is classified as a semiconductor of electricity. Iodine is needed by the thyroid gland during the production of thyroxin, a growth hormone. The thyroid gland obtains the iodine by collecting iodide from the blood plasma and converting it into iodine. A deficiency in iodine will cause the thyroid gland to enlarge (causing a goiter). In order to prevent this, table salt has iodine added in the form of potassium iodide (KI) or sodium iodide (NaI). Iodized salt contains 0.01percent KI or NaI. The iodine is easily separated from the salt because iodine is soluble in alcohol whereas salt is not.

Materials: • filter paper/coffee filter • steam bath or hot plate • iodized salt • 3% hydrogen peroxide • ethanol • NaI or KI solution • shallow bowl or plate • 3 small jars with lids (test tubes can be use) • petroleum ether (alternatives: hexanes, pentane, or diethyl ether) Procedure: 1. Add 20 g iodized salt and 25 mL ethanol to a jar, tighten lid and shake vigorously. Let the jar sit for 5–10 minutes and shake occasionally.

2 Filter the solution into a shallow bowl or plate and evaporate until dry. A steam bath or hot plate may be needed to quicken the evaporation. (Caution: ethanol is flammable) 3. Add 5 mL of 3% hydrogen peroxide to the bowl and warm it slightly until the residue is dissolved.

4. Carefully transfer the solution to a small jar, add 1–2 mL of petroleum ether or alternative, tighten the lid and shake. The petroleum ether, hexanes, and pentane should turn slightly pink due to the presence of iodine. If diethyl ether is used the solution will turn a faint yellow colour. Try to use a jar that will allow the diethyl ether to form a thin layer a couple of millimeters thick.

5. A standard can be made to compare the colour change. Add 5 mL of diethyl ether to 10 mL of hydrogen peroxide in a small jar. Add a few drops of a KI or NaI solution and observe the colour change in the ether layer.

From: Discover Canadian Chemistry

March 2004

Canadian Chemical News 31

Chemical Education Division Affiliate Membership for High School Teachers An invitation to join the largest group of professionals interested in chemical education

In September 1991, the Chemical Education Division of The Chemical Institute of Canada introduced an Affiliate membership category for high school chemistry teachers. This program promotes contact among chemical educators at all levels and encourages the involvement of high school chemistry teachers and community college chemistry and chemical technology teachers in the activities of the Division.

The Chemical Education Division (CED), provides an opportunity for high school teachers and community college chemistry and chemical technology teachers to interact with a cross-section of chemical professionals from across Canada. Among other activities, the CED currently organizes the annual National High School Chemistry Examination and is involved in other matter of interest to those involved in chemical education. Through membership in the Division, teachers can share information and ideas on curricular, equipment, and teaching resources.

In order to help to develop a sense of continuity, your membership dues are for a period of two years. The membership dues are very modest and include the March issue of the Institute’s magazine Canadian Chemical News that is dedicated to educational topics. In addition, your affiliate membership entitles you to a special rate should you wish to subscribe to the magazine on an annual basis. Furthermore, you will also receive information regarding the annual Canadian chemical conferences. As an affiliate member, you may attend this conference for a reduced registration fee. This specific benefit of membership allows teachers to participate, not only in the chemical education programme, but also in sessions focusing on topics such as the environment, drug development, and energy research, and moreover provides an opportunity to network with other teachers and chemical professionals.

Check the appropriate box, complete the remainder of the form, and return it with a cheque, payable to The Chemical Education Division: Gordon Bates, department of chemistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1. ❏ I am a high school chemistry teacher and not a member of the CSC, CSChE, or CSCT. I wish to become an Affiliate member of the Chemical Education Division. (All Division membership privileges apply except voting and holding senior executive office in the Division).

Dues for the two-year period September 2004–2006:

$10

❏ I am a community college chemistry teacher and not a member of the CSC, CSChE, or CSCT. I wish to become an Affiliate member of the Chemical Education Division. (All Division membership privileges apply except voting and holding senior executive office in the Division).

Dues for the two-year period September 2004–2006:

$10

❏ wish to become a full member of the CSC, CSChE, or CSCT and also become a member of the Chemical Education Division. Please send me more information and a membership application form.

Name: School: Address: City:

Province:

Postal code: Tel.: (

)-

Fax: (

E-mail:

32 L’Actualité chimique canadienne

mars 2004

)-

Send to: Gordon Bates Department of Chemistry University of British Columbia Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1

Tel.: 604-822-2834 Tel. (sec): 604-822-3266 Fax: 604-822-2847 E-mail: flip@chem.ubc.ca

Division News Nouvelles des divisions

CIC Bulletin ICC

Mark Your Calendar!

CIC National Office’s Angie Moulton, membership services coordinator, and Cheryle Levert, communications and marketing manager, draw the winning ballots.

Membership has its Rewards Time’s up! The “Renew your CIC membership! Contest” results are in.

The fourth annual contest held in partnership with Meloche Monnex, offered a new Palm Tungsten T2 handheld, valued at $500 as the grand prize and a oneyear free CIC membership as the second, valued at $135.

Winning ballots for the renewal contest were drawn at The Chemical Institute of Canada (CIC) National Office on January 30, 2004.

Grand prizewinner Reihaneh Irani, ACIC, a graduate student from the University of Calgary, and second prizewinner Peter McGarry, MCIC, of Paprican Inc. were selected from nearly 1,900 entries. The CIC would like to extend its congratulations to the winners and a special thanks to all participating members and our sponsor, Meloche Monnex, for making the renewal contest a success.

Meloche Monnex has been the exclusive provider of home and automobile insurance to CIC members since 1990.

May 4 and 5, 2004—The CSC Rubber Chemistry Division is holding a twoday seminar on Elastomer Molding.

The seminar will be held at the University of Waterloo, and the sessions will deal with thermoset elastomers, thermoplastic elastomers, and mold design.

The fee is $375 for members of The Chemical Institute of Canada, the Rubber Division, ACS, the Ontario Rubber Group, or the Quebec Elastomer Group. Otherwise the fee is $450. The fee includes lunch on both days and a 400-page book entitled Elastomer Molding Technology to be used as a textbook. Pre-registration only. No on-site registration.

For further information contact Marvin Myhre at 905-988-9448 or Don McRae at 519-576-5565.

Call for Nominations The Catalysis Division will elect a new executive at its upcoming meeting in Montréal, May 2004. Members of the Division are welcome to submit their names as part of the election process. Members who wish to be considered should contact Graeme Norval, MCIC, past-chair, who is organizing the nominations process. Nominations close on April 30, 2004.

Graeme Norval 2009 Grenville Drive Oakville, ON L6H 3Z3 Tel.: 905-466-2940 Fax: 905-466-6940 E-mail: graeme.norval@sympatico.ca The positions on the executive are as follows: Chair: 2-year term Vice-Chair: 2-year term Secretary/Treasurer: 2-year term Member-at-Large: 6-year term Newsletter Editor: 2-year term Representative to CSChE: 2-year term Representative to CSC: 2-year term Representative to International Congress on Catalysis: 4-year term Details on the roles of each position will be provided upon request

March 2004

Canadian Chemical News 33

Local Section News Nouvelles des sections locales

J.W.T. Spinks Lecture Series 2003 The chemistry department of the University of Saskatchewan once again hosted a very successful J.W.T. Spinks lecture series, this year featuring J. Fraser Stoddart, from UCLA. The beautifully illustrated pair of lectures, entitled “The Nature of the Mechanical Bond” and “An Integrated Systems-Oriented Approach to Molecular Electronics,” took place on October 23 and 24, 2003 and were delivered to large audiences.

The first talk, a general one, featured the introduction of the broad picture, such as the construction and use of specially tailored molecules that enable translational and rotational intermolecular motions induced by specific excitations. These species consist of interlocked molecular components, which can move relative to each other. The interaction energies between them can be termed “mechanical.” It is possible to apply external forces (such as electrical voltages in some cases) to create limited but definite molecular

Chemistry’s Impact on World History Revealed at Vancouver CIC Dinner Meeting On November 13, 2003, members of the Vancouver section of the CIC held their annual dinner meeting. After enjoying a buffet dinner at the Simon Fraser University Diamond Centre and presenting the new Creo Achievement Awards in Chemistry and ALS Environmental Awards in Chemistry, over 70 members were treated to an excellent, entertaining lecture by Penny Le Couteur, dean of arts and science at Capilano College in Vancouver, entitled

34 L’Actualité chimique canadienne

motion between the components, and this can at least conceptually be utilized in various ways. Such molecules, such as catenanes and rotaxanes, were developed in Stoddart’s laboratories in the last 20 years, beginning at Sheffield, U.K. The second talk, a specialist lecture, went into more detail as to how such “mechanically” bonded pairs of molecules, rings locked onto the bars of “dumbbell” or “lollipop” molecules and also interlocking pairs of rings, may be constructed (for example, the use of self-assembly) and stimulated to produce internal rearrangements, and how such changes can be detected. The climax was a description of how such systems might be used as molecular switches and nano-electromechanical systems (NEMS).

Stoddart’s enthusiasm and approachability created a vibrant environment for wide-ranging discussions with the Saskatchewan students and faculty, and thus the 2003–2004 Spinks lectures certainly served its purpose: to educate and to excite.

John A.Weil, FCIC

J. Fraser Stoddart delivered the 2003 J.W.T. Spinks lecture series at the University of Saskatchewan

“Hot, Sweet and Spicy: Chemistry in History.” In this lecture, Le Couteur shared us some highlights of her new, bestselling book Napoleon’s Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed History. The lecture was an exciting, eclectic mix of chemistry, world history, and geography. The spice trade, the sugar/slavery/manufactured goods triangle, and scurvy all received honourable mentions, both for their place in history and the chemistry behind them.

Le Couteur also gave us a peek into the world of editors, agents, and publishers, including the hardships, challenges, and rewards of trying to publish one’s work in the popular media. At the end, the audience indicated that they would be eagerly awaiting the sequel to Napoleon’s Buttons!

Daniel Leznoff, MCIC Vancouver Section chair

mars 2004

Vancouver CIC Local Section members enjoyed an after-dinner presentation

by Penny LeCouteur.

Student News Nouvelles des étudiants

No Nerds Here!

The University of Winnipeg continues to rattle preconceived notions of what it means to be a chemistry student!

From the Chemistry Students’ Association that brought you the “Men of Chemistry Calendar—2004: Chemists Gone Wild” comes the “Women of Chemistry” periodic table proving chemistry is no longer a subject for the weak or the meek. And you won’t find any pocket protectors here!

The periodic table is included as a special bonus with all orders for the calendar.

While supplies last.

To order, send your cheque or money order for $10 to: University of Winnipeg Chemistry Students’ Association University of Winnipeg 515 Portage Avenue Winnipeg, MB R3B 2E9

Women of Chemistry periodic table

Hamilton Students Compete

The Annual Monsaroff Student Paper Night was held on January 29, 2004 at Mohawk College with over 60 students and faculty attending.

The Monsaroff Student Paper Night was introduced in the 1960s and is named in recognition of Boris Monsaroff, an industrial chemist/chemical engineer and author. Monsaroff lived and worked in Hamilton, ON for more than 30 years and played a leading role in the CIC. He maintained a vigorous interest in science and economics and was deeply concerned with the impact of scientific development on economic and political policies. The Hamilton Section organized Student Paper Night in order to foster student interest in developing communication skills and in using these skills to transmit knowledge to a general audience.

Six students representing Mohawk College and McMaster University presented papers at this year’s competition, on various chemical-related subjects. The students were: Stefanie Mortiner, chemistry, McMaster University; Earl Clarke, chemical and environmental technology, Mohawk College; Elizabeth Clark, chemical engineering and management, McMaster University; Neerajah Raviraj, chemical engineering, McMaster University; Kim Worsley, chemistry, McMaster University; Robyn Gilliland, environmental science technician, Mohawk College.

The winner of the Monsaroff Medal was Elizabeth Clark, chemical engineering and management, McMaster University.

March 2004

Canadian Chemical News 35

Student News Nouvelles des étudiants

ALS Environmental and Creo Awards Presented to Top Vancouver Region Chemistry Students In order to honour top chemistry students and promote chemical education at the twelve public post-secondary institutions that teach chemistry or chemical technology within the Vancouver CIC Local Section, the Creo Achievement Award in Chemistry and the ALS Environmental Award in Chemistry were inaugurated.

Winners of the Creo Achievement Award in Chemistry who were presented with their prizes at the Dinner Meeting. From left to right: Daniel Leznoff, MCIC (Vancouver Section chair), Darwin Ortiz, Richard Popoff, Geoff Hicks, Melissa Hogg, Christie Foreman, and Graham Darling, MCIC (Creo representative). Front: Heather More and Marie Lauriente.

Each of the 12 departments was invited to nominate a worthy student, preferably one who had completed two chemistry courses at the second-year level to receive the Creo Award. The awardees were invited to attend the Local Section’s dinner meeting where they were publicly awarded their prizes by Creo’s Graham Darling, MCIC. A complete list of winners and their home institutions is shown below: Geoff Hicks Christie Foreman Melissa Hogg Richard Popoff Marie Lauriente Darwin Ortiz Jordan Kleckner Matthew Culp Sachiko Takahashi Heather More Ming Wai Emily Tsang Hiu-Wah Li

B.C. Institute of Technology, Burnaby Capilano College, North Vancouver College of the Rockies, Cranbrook Douglas College, New Westminister Kwantlen University College, Surrey Langara College, Vancouver Okanagan University College, Kelowna Selkirk College, Castlegar University College of the Cariboo, Kamloops University College of the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford Simon Fraser University (SFU), Burnaby University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver

The new ALS Environmental Award in Chemistry was presented to the top students in third-year chemistry at SFU and UBC respectively. Rob Deverall, president of ALS Environmental, granted the awards to Brett McCollum (SFU) and Roh-Eul Yoo (UBC) at the same CIC Dinner Meeting.

The Vancouver Local Section is grateful to Creo Inc. and ALS Environmental, two Vancouver-area technology companies that employ chemists, for their generous support of these student awards.

Congratulations to all the awardees on their outstanding achievement and we wish them the best of success in their continuing studies.

Daniel Leznoff, MCIC CIC Vancouver Local Section Chair

Brett McCollum, ALS Environmental president, and winners of the ALS Environmental Award in Chemistry: Rob Deverall and Roh-Eul Yoo.

36 L’Actualité chimique canadienne

mars 2004

Events Événements

Canada

U.S. and Overseas

Seminars and courses April 5–6, 2004. Chemical Health and Safety Workshop and Symposium, Association of the Chemical Profession of Alberta (ACPA), Canmore, AB. Web site: www.pchem.ca.

April 26–28, 2004. 8th Annual Process Control Applications for Industry Workshop (APC 2004), Vancouver, BC. Web site: www.ieee-ias.org/apc2004/index.html.

May 20–21, 2004. U.S.–Canada Joint Workshop on Innovative Chemistry in Cleaner Media, Montréal, QC. Tel.: 504-398-8457; E-mail: cj.li@mcgill.ca.

October 4–5, 2004. ICPES—Inductively Coupled Plasma Emission Spectroscopy, Canadian Society for Chemical Technology, Calgary, AB. Tel.: 888-542-2242; Web site: www.cheminst.ca/prof/dev.

October 4–5, 2004. Laboratory Safety, Canadian Society for Chemical Technology, Calgary, AB. Tel.: 888-542-2242; Web site: www.cheminst.ca/prof/dev.

November 5–7, 2004. The 15th Quebec–Ontario Minisymposium in Synthesis and Bio-Organic Chemistry (QOMSBOC), Ottawa, ON. Contact: Louis Barriault or William Ogilvie; Tel.: 613-562-5800.

Conferences April 28–29, 2004. 8th Canadian Pollution Prevention Roundtable (CPPR), Canadian Centre for Pollution Prevention, Ottawa, ON. Contact: Sue McKinlay; Tel.: 519-337-3425; E-mail: sue@c2p2online.com; Web site: www.c2p2online.com.

March 28–April 1, 2004. ACS Spring Meeting (227th), Anaheim, CA; Tel.: 800-227-5558; E-mail: natlmtgs@acs.org; Web site: www.acs.org.

April 18–24, 2004. 9th World Filtration Congress, New Orleans, LA, American Filtration and Separation Society (AFS).

Contact: Wallace Leung; Tel.: 703-538-1000; Fax: 703-538-6305; E-mail: Wallace.Leung@bakerhughes.com; Web site: www.wfc9.org.

April 25–29, 2004. AIChE Spring National Meeting, New Orleans, LA; Tel.: 212-591-7330; Web site: www.aiche.org.

May 11–14, 2004. The Global Analysis Fair—Analytica 2004, Munich, Germany. Web site: www.canada-unlimited.com.

August 22–26, 2004. ACS Fall Meeting (2287th), Philadelphia, PA; Tel.: 800-227-5558; E-mail: natlmtgs@acs.org; Web site: www.acs.org.

November 7–12, 2004. AIChE Annual Meeting, Austin, TX; Tel.: 212-591-7330; Web site: www.aiche.org.

July 10–15, 2005. 7th World Congress on Chemical Engineering (WCCE7), IchemE and the European Federation, Glasgow, Scotland. Contact: Sarah Fitzpatrick; E-mail: sarah.fitzpatrick@concorde-uk.com.

August 13–21, 2005. IUPAC 43rd General Assembly, Beijing, China. Contact: IUPAC Secretariat; Tel.: +1 919-485-8700; Fax: +1 919-485-8706; E-mail: secretariat@iupac.org.

May 16–19, 2004. Biannual Canadian Surface Science Conference: Surface Canada 2004, Vancouver, BC. Web site: www.chem.ubc.ca/surfacecanada.

May 16–19, 2004. 18th Canadian Symposium on Catalysis, Montréal. QC. Contact: Jitka Kirchnerova; Tel.: 514-340-4711; E-mail: jitka.kirchnerova@polymtl.ca; Web site: www.polymtl.ca/18CSC2004.

May 29–June 2, 2004. Strong Roots/New Branches—87th Canadian Society for Chemistry Conference and Exhibition, London, ON. Web site: www.csc2004.ca.

June 9–11, 2004. CACD 17th Annual Meeting and NACD Region IV Meeting, Québec, QC. Contact: Cathy Campbell; Tel.: 905-844-9140; Web site: www.cacd.ca.

July 10–14, 2004. 15th Canadian Symposium on Theoretical Chemistry (CSTC 2004), Sainte-Adele, QC. Web site: www.chem.queensu.ca/cstc2004.

October 3–6, 2004. Energy for the Future—54th Canadian Chemical Engineering Conference, Calgary, AB, Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering (CSChE); Tel.: 613-232-6252; Web site: www.csche2004.ca.

Available at no charge: Bound copies of Analytical Chemistry, 1937–1984 E-mail cgilmore@dawsoncollege. qc.ca for further information

Employment Wanted Demandes d’emploi

Professional Directory Répertoire professionnel Section head

Next Up: London!

Join the CSC for Canada’s next chemistry conference themed, Strong Roots/New Branches, in London, ON, at the London Convention Centre from May 29 to June 1, 2004. For more information go to www.csc2004.ca.

Chemical Group

C. Lloyd Sarginson B.Sc. (Chem. Eng.), LL.B. Philip C. Mendes da Costa B.Sc. (Chem. Eng.), LL.B. Michael E. Charles B.Eng.Sci. (Chem. Eng.), LL.B. Micheline Gravelle B.Sc., M.Sc. (Immunology) Andrew I. McIntosh B.Sc. (Chem.), J.D., LL.B. Anita Nador B.A. (Molec. Biophys./Biochem.), LL.B. Noel Courage B.Sc. (Biochem.), LL.B. Patricia Power B.Sc., Ph.D. (Chem.)

Meredith Brill B.Sc., (Chem. Eng.), LL.B.

Practice Restricted to Intellectual Property Law Scotia Plaza, 40 King Street West, 40th Floor Toronto, Ontario Canada M5H 3Y2 416 364 7311 fax: 416 361 1398

38 L’Actualité chimique canadienne

2000 Argentia Road, Plaza 4, Suite 430 Mississauga, Ontario Canada L5N 1W1 905 812 3600 fax: 905 814 0031 www.bereskinparr.com

mars 2004

Bachelor Chemical Engineering (Honours) with 14 years in the etholylates/propoxylates business is looking for a production and/or commercial development engineer position in a similar field. Has experience with PEG, PPG, ethoxylates, propoxylates and alcoxylates. Has worked as a production engineer for 9 years and as a commercial development engineer for 5 years. Contact Peter at 416-614-6603 or pvsaranchuk@yahoo.ca.

Chemical Engineer (Bachelors) with six years of experience in Chemical Process Design, Project Coordination and Safety Studies is looking for a similar position in GTA and surrounding area. Has experience in simulation software such as ChemCAD, HTRI and PHAST. Has worked on projects for Pharmaceutical and Chemical Industries. Contact Meghal at 905-874-4090 or meghal@rogers.com.

Careers Events Événements Carrières

Step right up!

If you are an unemployed member of the CIC, you are entitled to three consecutive free advertisements in the Employment Wanted section of ACCN. Contact Gale Thirlwall-Wilbee, career services and student affairs manager.

Tel.: 613-232-6252, ext. 223; Fax: 613232-5862; E-mail: gwilbee@cheminst.ca.

March 2004

Canadian Chemical News 39

Careers Carrières

The Journal of Biomolecular Screening, in conjunction with McMaster University’s HTS Lab announces: HTS Data Mining and Docking Competition Objective • A competition for computational chemists using a real HTS data set for analysis.

• Dockers and computational chemists; all invited to participate.

Goals • Given a high-quality experimental data set of 50,000 compounds against dihydrofolate reductase, participants will predict the activity of an additional 50,000 molecules.

• Experimental data on the second 50,000 molecules to be released later for comparison and judging.

Metrics • Success will be measured by the enrichment of activities suggested by the competitors, the rank ordering of the compound activities, the identification of false negatives and false positives, and the novelty of the classes identified.

Timing • January 2004 release of first data set by McMaster HTS Lab. • Results submitted by participants in March 2004.

• Winners and second data set results released May 2004.

• Participants will be invited to present their methodology at a Competition Symposium and for publication in a special issue of the Journal of Biomolecular Screening.

For more information and to register, contact: McMaster HTS Lab at: http://hts.mcmaster.ca

Careers Carrières

www.chemistry.mcmaster.ca

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