Then and now
HISTORY
As horrific as war is, it has historically spurred innovation and the invention of many useful gadgets that benefitted a peacetime citizenry. The Second World War was no exception. To...
Read More >>Humble acetone helped win the Second World War
CHEMFUSION
Say acetone, and what comes to a chemist’s mind? Washing laboratory glassware is a good bet. Actually, the prime use of acetone is to produce polymethyl methacrylate, better known as...
Read More >>Chemical outreach through conversation — not ad campaigns
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
We might never be able to get the general public to fully understand and appreciate the chemical sectors and professions — and in my personal opinion we should not waste...
Read More >>Chemists need professional designation for the public good
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
Provincial chemical associations across Canada are working very hard right now to get their respective governments to enact legislation formalizing the practice of chemistry. Quebec has already been successful; most...
Read More >>Is stiffer competition for research dollars a good thing for Canada?
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
After the March 2013 federal budget, our chemical sciences and engineering community seemed to be staying mum on what the academic research community had received. Perhaps the changes made by...
Read More >>Social license will trump technological advancements in the chemical industry of the future
CAREERS
The discovery of new chemicals has always supported new functionalities and rising standards of living. But when it comes to applying those discoveries to industry — including resource extraction, chemical...
Read More >>Silence is golden
INTELLECTUAL MATTERS
At a recent symposium I attended, several “studentpreneurs” were showcasing their innovations which had been supported by a local technology incubator. It was heartening to see how passionate the students...
Read More >>Cloak and … umbrella?
CHEMFUSION
On my last visit to London, England I made a point of going to Waterloo station. I wasn’t interested in taking a train, I just wanted to stand at the...
Read More >>Then and now
COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
From the beginning, the history of the companies that would become Canadian Industries Limited (C-I-L) have been entangled with that of the nation itself. The Hamilton Powder Company, founded in...
Read More >>Raising the bar for a life outside the lab
INTELLECTUAL MATTERS
When I was about halfway through my master’s degree, I began to think about what I would do in the “real world” and how I could capitalize on my chemistry...
Read More >>Students need soft skills for hard times
EDUCATION
We should create an ecosystem that offers business courses to science students and mentorship programs connecting aspiring entrepreneurs with business leaders.
Read More >>Fracking a boon for guar gum farmers
PETROCHEMISTRY
The price of guar gum, produced from the seeds of the guar plant, has been skyrocketing recently. While it has long been used in the food industry as a texture-modifying...
Read More >>