Scientists everywhere rejoice, 2011 has been officially proclaimed the International Year of Chemistry. The announcement came from the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), the governing body of all things chemistry. With further endorsement from the UN's Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), it looks to be an exciting year indeed. The British festivities kicked off at the Houses of Parliament, as the Royal Society of Chemistry president Professor David Phillips emphasised “science is not just theoretical, but also practical”. A series of bangs and flashes followed as the first ever science experiments were performed in Parliament by Professor Hal Sosabowski, of the University of Brighton, who put on a thoroughly good show of mad science, with a tie dye lab coat to boot.
The principle aim of the Year of Chemistry is to raise awareness of the subject and its role in society among the general public, as well as to attract young people into the field. This will be carried out with a number of events open to the public, as well as through participation in schools. A heavy onus will also be placed on the role of women in science, and in particular, to honour Marie Curie and her work. Especially pertinent as this year sees the centenary of Curie being awarded the Nobel Prize in chemistry. Not only the first woman to claim the prize, she was also the first ever person to be awarded two (several years earlier she and her husband had received the shared prize in physics). She remains an aspirational figure, a viewpoint clearly shared by the chemistry department at the University of Bristol, who are hoping to put on a lecture in her honour sometime this year.
Whilst Bristol and the surrounding areas have their fair share of activities planned, the event schedule is somewhat poorly advertised, as with the Year of Chemistry itself. If IUPAC do intend on enticing members of the public to show an interest in chemistry, perhaps they ought to consider publicising to a wider audience than just the readers of the Royal Society of Chemistry website. Despite this, it is still early in the year and it seems momentum will be gained, as there are certainly some attention-grabbing events to come. Take for example the world’s largest experiment, aptly named the ‘Global Experiment’. School children across the globe will participate in four different experiments, all based on water and its role in society and the environment.
In spite of its few teething problems, the Year of Chemistry presents a fantastic opportunity for scientists and non-scientists alike to become involved and have fun with the subject. Bristol boasts a plethora of science based activities able to excite anyone. Head down to the At Bristol science museum where you will rediscover your inner child (and maybe learn something too!) With over 300 interactive exhibits there is plenty to keep you amused, but be warned, unless you visit on a week day, be prepared to wrestle with a hoard of grabby children and toddlers to have a turn on any of the exhibits. If you can’t spare the hours during the week, you would be wise to visit an hour and a half before closing time on the weekend, as not only have the stream of small competitors filtered away, you also get half price entry; bonus. At Bristol is also a regular host of the Science Cafe, where you can come face to face with expert scientists from a number of different fields, hear them speak about their subject, then give them a grilling. Science cafe meets during the evenings of every second Tuesday of the month, and best of all is free.
Getting interactive at the 'At Bristol' Science Museum
But why should we be celebrating the discipline of chemistry with such fervour? When the head of the University of Bristol chemistry department Professor Tim Gallagher asked what had drawn him to the subject, he replied “Crudely, blowing things up. I was a pyromaniac as a child. However I’m against the stereotype of chemistry being explosions and bangs and fires. What really hooked me was the role of chemistry in healthcare and pharmaceuticals, which has made a profound impact on quality of life.” And indeed, we have much to thank chemistry for. The world would be a very different one, a much worse one, without people tirelessly studying chemistry, and that certainly is worth celebrating. Happy New Year of Chemistry.
Some resources;
· www.chemistry2011.org the homepage for the IYC
· http://www.rsc.org/ConferencesAndEvents/conference/ database of events happening for the year of chemistry. For local events just choose your area in the ‘RSC Local and International Sections’ box
· www.sciencecafe.co.uk information about upcoming Science Cafe evenings
· https://communities.acs.org/message/6699 a video put out by the American Chemical Society considering a world without chemistry
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