The Kidnapping Of The International Year Of Chemistry

The International Year of Chemistry 2011 (IYC 2011) commemorates the achievements of chemistry, and its contributions to humankind. This recognition for chemistry was made official by the United Nations in December 2008. Now we are facing a brand new year, 2012 it's our duty as chemists to reflect upon our actions and contributions to achieve this objective. 


While most of the things I've read on the web so far talk about the frontiers of our science and whatever we have left to do from the top of this "Ivory Tower" we call Academia, I'd like to start thinking about what we left to all the other people. In my opinion not enough.


I don't know if people stopped caring about us. Chemistry it's not like math, even thought it's pretty abstract you have to use it at least when it comes to giving tips. Or physics, we see an apple fall and instantly we think about Newton. Is chemistry that complicated? Or we gave up in our efforts to explain it to people?


I feel we could have done a lot more with the oportunity this past year gave us. It was our opportunity as a scientific community to reach out to the real world outside the tower. I sometimes feel we are like the Grinch in Christmas and we like to keep chemistry all to ourselves.


It seems we like when everybody gets surprised or says we study a mayor for "intelligent people", and if everybody starts understanding part of our identity as scientists will disappear.


I know there's lots of persons that don't care, but if science it's supposed to be for everyone then we should keep fighting so they start caring. 


All we have to offer is that the symbol of water is H2O or that free radicals are the cause of aging?? I think that if we are as "smart" as we say we can do way better !!!!