Thesis

When elements 117 and 118 are finally named, should these new members of the halogen and noble gas families receive names ending in -ium as IUPAC has suggested? Brett F. Thornton and Shawn C. Burdette look at the history of element suffixes and make the case for not following this recommendation.

Bruce Gibb ponders what the future of chemistry research might look like if we take a more data-driven approach.

Michelle Francl argues we should embrace molecular models, not tuck them away in the closet.

Bruce Gibb discusses how and why chemists name reactions and molecules — and what makes such monikers stick.

Michelle Francl suggests that chemists should keep on name-dropping.

Dennis P. Curran invites everyone to join the dawning new era of organic synthesis.

For Patrick Goymer, the story behind the scientists who first described the phenomenon known as hydrogen bonding is a familiar one.

Bringing knowledge management to bear on the process of scientific research may have benefits for everyone, explains Bruce Gibb.

Michelle Francl wonders if home labs make (better) chemists.

Jean-François Lutz wonders whether chemists should slow down.

Sometimes the numbers just don't add up — and Bruce Gibb explains why.

Michelle Francl wonders what abstract objects might be lurking in our beakers.

The e.e.s have had it, argues Bruce Gibb, and it's time to err on the side of e.r.

Michelle Francl wonders what it is that makes a molecule elegant.

As scientists, are the decisions we make all about weighing up cold hard facts or does the last time we ate come into play? Bruce Gibb offers us some food for thought.

Michelle Francl wonders how much time chemists should spend learning history.

The historical context in which a scientific paper is published is an important factor that should not be overlooked, suggest Qian Wang and Chris Toumey.

Two constitutional isomers with exceptionally similar structures have had very different impacts in chemistry and beyond. With this example, Bruce Gibb highlights just how difficult it is to predict how much a particular compound or piece of chemical research will contribute to society, especially in the short term.

Michelle Francl wants a chemistry book that could conjure up Linus Pauling.

Could short, non-traditional sabbaticals help scientists better organize their research groups and make improvements to their laboratory's IT infrastructure? Bruce Gibb ponders this question.