What makes a chemist different A chemist has a seamless - essentially subliminal awareness that almost everything around us – not just the chemistry that we do in test tubes - is a manifestation of intrinsic properties, behaviours and actions that occur at nanoscale dimensions eg processes involving atoms and molecules etc..

Chemists are different because they continually: “see” the structural elegance of photochemical receptors and the associated processes in the leaves of trees

Chemists are different because they continually: “see” the structural elegance of photochemical receptors and the associated processes in the leaves of trees Wonder at the biosphere sustainability

Chemists are different because they continually: “see” the structural elegance of photochemical receptors and the associated processes in the leaves of trees Wonder at the biosphere sustainability “See” the nanoscale optical effects which result in the iridescent colours of a butterfly wing

Chemists are different because they continually: “see” the structural elegance of photochemical receptors and the associated processes in the leaves of trees Wonder at the biosphere sustainability “See” the nanoscale optical effects which result in the iridescent colours of a butterfly wing Wonder how to split water into H2 and O2 using visible light while sitting in the traffic jam into downtown Washington

Chemists are different because they continually: “see” the structural elegance of photochemical receptors and the associated processes in the leaves of trees Wonder at the biosphere sustainability “See” the nanoscale optical effects which result in the iridescent colours of a butterfly wing Wonder how to split water into H2 and O2 using visible light while sitting in the traffic jam into downtown Washington Recognise that the reason that the people of an overpopulated city are not dying of cholera is the chemical treatment of sewage

Chemists are different because they continually: “see” the structural elegance of photochemical receptors and the associated processes in the leaves of trees Wonder at the biosphere sustainability “See” the nanoscale optical effects which result in the iridescent colours of a butterfly wing Wonder how to split water into H2 and O2 using visible light while sitting in the traffic jam into downtown Washington Recognise that the reason that the people of an overpopulated city are not dying of cholera is the chemical treatment of sewage Think of intermolecular interactions that occur when water freezes

Chemists are different because they continually: “see” the structural elegance of photochemical receptors and the associated processes in the leaves of trees Wonder at the biosphere sustainability “See” the nanoscale optical effects which result in the iridescent colours of a butterfly wing Wonder how to split water into H2 and O2 using visible light while sitting in the traffic jam into downtown Washington Recognise that the reason that the people of an overpopulated city are not dying of cholera is the chemical treatment of sewage Think of intermolecular interactions that occur when water freezes Are amazed at the action of haemoglobin as they breathe

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Key Issue The key issue is how to develop this awareness of this essentially abstract world - based on almost ”un-understandable” quantum behaviour

The chemical language parallels spoken language Fluency The chemical language parallels spoken language Macbeth > English culture Benzene > Chemistry culture