I was surprised some time ago by the number of Ukrainian
and Russian companies in the field of chemistry, including selling elaborated
compounds developed for research, screening libraries etc. The answer to the
riddle is in no of June 2014 of l’Actualité Chimique, through
an article on the International Chemistry Olympiads. France registered 250
applicants, against 10,000 for the USA, 250. 000 for Ukraine, and 500,000 for
Russia.
The craze for Chemistry (which generally started with
little chemistry sets for children
before regulations –especially european - forbid anything exciting in it
) seems to have largely left France to thrive elsewhere. Yet, Chemistry was
largely a French science, founded in its modern version by Lavoisier.
Then, to restore the balm to the heart for teachers of
chemistry, these quotes from two disciples of Lavoisier:
Fourcroy 1800, in his synopsis of chemistry, which
launches into a eulogy of medicinal chemistry: "Chemistry... discovers the
nature and the composition of animal material. It will precisely determine the
chemical reactions that occur in living animals, such as Spallanzani has
elucidated the mechanisms of digestion and Lavoisier, respiration. By analysis
of the altered bodies, it will discover what is happening in the organic injury
and what diseases are. It will discover ways to prevent disease in their
beginning. It will simplify the pharmaceutical remedies, will eliminate the
inactive substances, will make therapeutics formula more exact and reproducible
... »
And Chaptal, for the industrial chemistry: "Before
that chemistry was reduced to general principles, many industry operations,
factories, manufactures were, so to speak, the preserve of a few nations and
the ownership of a small number of individuals. The most absolute secrecy
covered each process of the veil of mystery; formulas and practices transmitted
by inheritance from generations to generations. Chemistry unveiled everything;
it made the field an heritage of all,
and in a short time, we saw the people where this science was cultivated to
enrich from their neighbours. Preparations of lead, copper, mercury; working
iron, the manufacture of acids; the finishing of fabrics; the colors on canvas
printing; the composition of crystals, terracotta and porcelain; all this was
taken from the secret, and is now a common property...Thus, since twenty years,
chemistry has created several branches of industry ".
Playful, dramatic, exciting, ubiquitous...
As any science done well, chemistry is a language, and
those who ignore it cannot understand much about biology, drug, textiles, dyes,
inks, plastics, photography, geology and its wonderful crystals, air, water and
their pollutants, cosmetics, metals and their transformations, more and more
technical glasses end lenses, oils and potential substitutes, agrochemicals and fertilizers, insecticides,
herbicides now discredited, but which have saved humanity from famines, to
plants and amazing substances they produce - the store of the God, said Pierre
Potier, the inventor of the taxotere; and the colors of paintings, and the
smells of flowers and perfumes; all this without chemistry is incomprehensible.
Then perhaps we can recall that teaching Chemistry may be
exciting, dramatic, playfull – may be needing some aggiornamento. That this
language may in part be acquired early enough in a rather playful, elemental
form. The educational journals are full of ideas for interesting demonstrations
- teachers should have more time to devote to experimental chemistry. It would
probably also possible to build a video library of dramatic experiences –too
difficult to run in a standard school
lab. . Some aspects lend themselves well to simulations or fun
presentations on computers.
Probably, study of
chemistry should begin early enough at
the college or even before by a panorama of the different areas of chemistry.
And perhaps we should also further specialize teachers - separate physics and
chemistry? or at least allow those passionate about chemistry teaching it as a
priority.
Nothing impossible: Fourcroy taught the chemical
Revolution of Lavoisier to passionate
audiences of 1500 people. It was necessary to enlarge the amphitheatre of
Buffon in the Muséum d'Histoire Naturelle (Jardin du Roi)
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