New Year, new leadership style in the chemical sciences
As COVID drags on, mining the movie Ground Hog Day for inspiration can be surprisingly productive. Read one chemist’s take on what he discovered.
Read More >>Pandemic teaching – take two
EDUCATION
With Canada in the midst of a second wave of COVID-19, faculty are breathing a sigh of relief that at least they won’t be asked to navigate a second sudden...
Read More >>Networking instrumentation for remote access
EDUCATION
When I was younger, I remember visiting a friend whose parents were talking about how their work environment was changing. Their office had only just started using a new form...
Read More >>Making new educational connections on line
EDUCATION
During my undergraduate degree at Simon Fraser University, I took Japanese as an elective. The course was offered as either an on-campus version or by distance education. That semester I...
Read More >>Science Advisor releases first annual report
GOVERNMENT
The office of Dr. Mona Nemer, Canada’s Chief Science Advisor, released its first annual report on March 11. The document outlines a variety of...
Read More >>Getting the dope on diamonds
MATERIALS
Despite their close proximity in the periodic table, silicon and diamond might seem to occupy very different niches within the hierarchy of valuable materials.
Read More >>Thinking about thinking in chemistry
EDUCATION
Steve MacNeil has been thinking a lot about how his students are thinking about their thinking in chemistry. Yes, that’s right. The act of thinking or reflecting about one’s own ways of thinking...
Read More >>Celebrating the many sides of silver
CHEMFUSION
Let me tell you a little personal anecdote. About twenty-five years ago I was asked by a local library to give some lectures to the public. Since I had always been interested...
Read More >>Nobel Laureate John Polanyi turns 90
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
“The fact is that science is having a colossal effect on the world scene, and as a result we cannot responsibly opt out of the debate on world affairs.”
Read More >>The entrepreneur who changed the scientific enterprise
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
Most chemists today could scarcely imagine a world where they could not simply turn to a catalogue to find the specialized chemicals they need for their work.
Read More >>Overcoming the challenges of dietary data
NUTRITION
Your grandmother, if you were lucky enough to have one, probably told you to eat your fruits and veggies. And now it seems that those grandmothers who meddled with our dietary habits and urged kids...
Read More >>Transforming failure from a foe into friend
EDUCATION
The destroyer of dreams. That’s how I heard my peers describe organic chemistry, and the professor who taught it, when I was an undergraduate. I remember a student next to me during the final exam quietly sobbing.
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