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Vol.
28 No. 5
September-October 2006
Past
President's Column ChemistryA
Core Science with a Political Dimension
by
Leiv K. Sydnes
Chemistry
plays a key role everywhere in the world, irrespective of
a particular country's level of development. Whether
the issue is nutrition, crop production, water quality, pollution
cleanup, pest control, drug development, fuel efficiency,
or biofuels, chemistry is a central discipline for solving
many of the crucial problems facing us today.
For
our science, such a position is quite prestigious. However,
since issues such as those listed above are also hot items
on the political agenda, it is inevitable that chemistry,
clearly or indirectly, becomes entangled in political processes
and at times even ends up playing a major role in events that
chemists cannot control. It is therefore no exaggeration to
state that there is a significant political dimension associated
with chemistry. Surprisingly enough, many chemists are astonished
to discover this fact and they typically react by declining
to interact with the public and refusing to become involved
in any political process.
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last modified 21 September 2006.
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