Chemistry Takes The Nobel Prize

Chemistry Takes The Nobel PrizeThe 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry is due to be awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, on May 14. The chemistry prize is given to the best scientific achievement. In the past, this award has been won by a person who has been honoured for their work in chemistry or physics.It is well known that many of the greatest discoveries in chemistry have come from the minds of human beings and many of the worlds greatest scientists have been the products of human influence. A chemical prize should not be given out if it can be given to someone who was not influenced by anyone else. I hope the Nobel committee will reconsider the decision of this year's chemistry prize.Chemistry is a very broad discipline that encompasses a vast amount of subject matter. Chemists from all over the world to participate in their research. I have recently seen an article in a British science magazine about chemists from India who work on all sorts of molecules for a living. The professor is quot ed as saying that this is an idea whose time has come, and that these Indian chemists are the real pioneers of modern chemistry.The Nobel prize committee is reflecting a sense of admiration for chemistry at this moment in time. There are millions of chemistry papers written every year and a lot of the best researchers are not native English speakers. The English language is the common language of the chemistry world and many of the more junior people are able to communicate with other scientists and contribute to science more fully. When the Nobel prize is given out, it seems like the chemical world has a new respect for English and a greater sense of pride for a new, natural language.Chemistry has its detractors. People who believe that the reality of the chemical world is always in opposition to the ideals of science and reason, in general, are claiming that the integrity of the chemistry world has been brought into question. The logic of such views is that chemistry is nothing mo re than an oxymoron and you cannot separate one from the other.Chemistry is very much a socially motivated field of study. For example, you would not give a prize to a person who studies language and literature unless there was some other reason that also justified that award. If you are not able to explain a particular thought process of a scientist who is involved in this field, then it seems odd to me to give them the Nobel prize. The Nobel prize should be given out for pure science and it should not be given out for the bad habits that are involved in the study of the science of chemistry.The Nobel committee is quite right in awarding chemistry this year. Chemistry has shown what a very important contribution it makes to modern life. The chemistry world is on the march towards unity and that is a very good thing.